


Like no one ever was

by TheFAYZ



Category: One Direction (Band), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: All Generations have the potential to pop up, Alpha Liam, Alpha Louis, Alpha Niall, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Also all Pokemon can talk to their owners, Also while I will depict Pokemon relationships, But besides some references, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Love at First Sight, M/M, Main relationship is Ziam, Minor knowledge of Pokemon should be had before reading, Mostly you just need to know what Pokeball and Pokedex's are lol, Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy are of course here!, Ok no more tags I can't think of anymore, Older Liam, Omega Harry, Omega Zayn, Only use real Pokemon, Other, POV Third Person, Pokemon Journey fic, Sorry furrys, Takes place in the Pokemon universe, There's not gonna be any detailed Pokemon sex so, Totally made up region and towns/cities, Younger Zayn, Zayn owns a Lucario and a Pikachu, Zayn wants to be the very best!, if you were hoping for that then you'll be disappointed, lol, long fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:54:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 95,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21778624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFAYZ/pseuds/TheFAYZ
Summary: Zayn Malik, Omega and proud owner of a bratty but sweet Pikachu and a serious but kind Lucario. The three of them are on a journey to collect all 8 gym badges so he can challenge the Elite Four, the Champion, and finally achieve his dream of becoming the Pokemon Champion of the Lunari Region.  They've made good progress (one down and seven to go!) but on their way to the next gym their vehicle breaks down.Zayn never could have realized, that this minor event would change the course of his life forever, that it would steer his path right into another.  Alpha Liam Payne, son of the Elite Four's oldest member and a master trainer with a penchant for fire type Pokemon.Together they'll travel the region; meet exciting and legendary Pokemon, collect badges, and try to figure out the identity and motives of Team Rockets new mysterious and dangerous leader who goes by the name Shiva.Can the pair and their friends stop the coming storm? Or will the Lunari region be lost in the coming tides of darkness...
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Comments: 25
Kudos: 56





	1. Book 1:Rumble in the Desert Town Gym

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! I want to just get this out of the way, I love Pokemon.  
> It's true, been this way since I was just a weeeeee little boy. I collected cards, played the games, watched the show, the works. I've been playing Pokemon since the original 150 I guess is my point, so you can understand (hopefully!) my feeling of sadness when I discovered there were no Pokemon related One Direction fics. I guess I can't say I was terribly surprised but it still kinda made me sad all the same :[  
> Aaaaannnnnnywho, I enjoy writing Ziam stories and I enjoy Pokemon, so I had the brilliant idea of combining the two into a fic which you are about to read! I did my best to make sure the Pokemon are all represented accurately, including the kinds of moves they can use and stuff from the official Pokedex themselves. In-fact I sort of combined a lot of the facts provided by two fantastic websites and cobbled them together and present them in the fic for you all to read. I don't do this for every Pokemon, only new ones that Zayn has never seen and decides to scan with his Pokedex. If you want info on Pokemon mentioned in the fic, I suggest the two websites I used for basically everything. Bulbapedia and Serebii.net. That being said, I will give basic characteristics when describing Pokemon but I'm not going to do it for every Pokemon I mention. I will provide pictures at the end of every chapter of any new Pokemon that show up in the chapter and that ZAYN MEETS. If I just mention a pokemon in passing and the pokemon isn't present then I'm not gonna include a picture. If you really wanna know what certain Pokemon look like, just type the name into google and there ya go lol.  
> Anyway what else, I don't know how long the fics gonna be but I do know its going to be long. Chapters themselves will be fairly short but there's certainly going to be a fair number of them. I won't promise any kind of deadline because whenever I do that I end of failing miserably so I'll just say that between work and school, I'll post when I can. Also I now have two unfinished works. I may have abandoned Welcome to the Night, I honestly don't know if I'm going to finish it or not. I'm not totally decided yet so I marked it as being on hiatus. The other fic is Colours, which I also marked as being on hiatus. I am going to finish colours one day, but recent things have kind of made it a bit harder to write so I just need to leave it be for a while. To those who read those fics and really liked them, I apologize deeply...I know the pain and I feel awful for inflicting it on others. Also, for those here for just the Ziam and aren't Pokemon fans...you may not enjoy this one. You don't have to have a PhD in Pokemon to understand the fic but some knowledge will definitely be required. Pokedex, Poke Ball, Gym Leaders, Badges, Elite Four, Region Champion, Victory Road. If you know what at least half of these things are, you'll probably be fine to read this fanfic lol.  
> Woo but ok, I think that is everything. Obviously I don't own any of the characters or Pokemon used. This whole fic is simply being written for fun and nothing more. Please enjoy and leave me a kudos if you like it or even a comment because I'd really appreciate it!  
> Also I'm not putting in a pic of Pikachu because if you don't know what Pikachu looks like then you really really shouldn't be reading this fic lmao.

**Book 1: Rumble in the Desert Town Gym**

**Chapter 1: Meeting the Sun**

“I don't think it's all so bad.” Lucario said, his voice a deep yet soft baritone (it was rare to hear Lucario speak louder than normal tone most of the time). Pikachu hummed in agreement from Lucario's shoulder.

“Oh certainly not! This is totally fixable…” Pikachu's voice was much higher pitched, but still definitely a boy. He could be a bit snobbish sounding sometimes as he was very smart for a Pikachu and liked to show that off with his very extensive library of big words.

Zayn turned an eye on the two of them.

“Either of you know how to fix it?” the two stayed silent and Zayn rolled his eyes.

“Didn't think so.”

“Well...at least we have each other?” Lucario shrugged. Zayn laughed weakly.

“Yeah, I suppose that's true innit?” he wiped away the sweat from his forehead and stood. The trio were in the middle of a desert, nothing but highway going endlessly to their left and right. The sky was clear and only two small clouds could be seen. The sun beat down overhead and there was little to no wind. Zayn could see a cactus nearby with a pair of Dugtrio's across from each other that seemed to be having a conversation. Zayn pulled out his Pokedex and pulled open the GPS app.

“Well boys, according to this we are ten miles from the next town and our next gym…'Desert Town’.”

“What an uninspired name.” Pikachu commented. Zayn chuckled and was about to close the Pokedex (and voice his agreement with Pikachu), when they all froze at a low chattering sound. They turned and Zayn's eyes widened as a small green blur suddenly darted out from behind a nearby rock and shot straight for Zayn's chest. The young Omega yelped in surprise and his best friends let out twin 'Zayn!’ and immediately took battle position's, Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electrical energy and Lucario's hands glowed with a soft blue aura.

“Wooooah guys.” Zayn said, staring down at the shivering mass underneath his shirt. He unbuttoned the top three buttons of his black button up shirt and pulled the collar open. A bright green head popped out of the shirt. The creature was surprisingly soft, Zayn was a bit mesmerized by it's wonderfully big bright blue eyes.

“Hello there.” Zayn smiled. The Pokemon let out a soft tinkling sound as it repeated its name to Zayn, it's voice almost sounded like tiny bells.

“Celebi huh? Never heard of a Celebi before...guys? What's she saying?”

“She is asking if we are friends or foe, she said she is being chased by 'bad men’.” Lucario said with a frown. Pikachu gracefully hopped on Zayn's shoulder and spoke to the Celebi. She let out soft little chirps and echoes of her name.

“Say's the bad men were trying to make her...do _something._ She doesn't know what, but apparently an explosion broke the machine they had her strapped too and she escaped through a 'small metal hole’. I think she means a ventilation shaft.” Pikachu said with a shrug.

“Make sure she knows we are friends then, make sure she knows we aren't gonna hurt her.” Zayn said, giving Celebi a warm smile. Pikachu relayed his message and he felt the poor Pokemon relax in his arms. Celebi used her tiny wings on her back and floated just a few inches away from him, hovering in front of his face.

“It's very nice to meet you Celebi...how long ago did you escape? Have you eaten? We have some Pokefood…”

“Uh, Zayn.” Lucario suddenly said, the alarm in his voice made the Omega look up instantly. His eyes widened at the sight of a large black van speeding down the highway towards them.

“Luca, how close?” Zayn asked. He watched his friends head glow with a soft blue colored aura and he closed his eyes. His ears lifted slowly up his head. He suddenly opened his eyes a few seconds later, the glow disappearing.

“We don't have long.” He warned. Celebi let out distressed cries of her name and buried her face in Zayn's chest.

“She's pretty sure that's the bad men. She says they weren't far behind her.” Pikachu warned. All three Pokemon were looking at Zayn now, waiting for his response. Zayn felt panic as he looked past them to the approaching car. The motorcycle was broken so they couldn't try to drive away. There wasn't any way of hiding Celebi in the motorcycle, so that left only two options...

“Well...we can't let them take Celebi here. Who knows what they wanted to do to this poor girl…”

“Fighting it is.” Lucario said, smacking his paws together.

“Not yet...we may still be able to avoid a fight.” Zayn turned to look at his yellow companion.

“Translate while I talk Pikachu, we don't have a lot of time.” He nodded seriously and the Omega turned back to his green friend and began.

“Celebi, those bad men are coming and I don't know if I can protect you. Our only good option is to hide…” Zayn reached for his belt and pulled one of his empty Poke Balls from it.

“You could hide in here. We'd finally be able to talk! And if you want I'll release you once we are safe.” The Celebi chimed slowly, it looked uneasy and spoke a little.

“She said she doesn't know about this, she doesn't know if she trusts us yet.” 

“I understand Celebi, I'm asking you to put your freedom in my hands...but all I can say is that I swear on my family name that I am telling you the truth and that you can trust me. I promise you...from one friend to another.” Celebi seemed to contemplate this.

“Zayn, they're close.” Lucario warned. Zayn gave the Pokemon a weak smile.

"I swear you can trust me, I'd never hurt you." The Celebi was silent for just a few seconds more before finally speaking.

“Oh...she says she agrees!” Pikachu said with a grin. Zayn smiled warmly at the little Pokemon and held up the Poke Ball.

“Ok, I just bop you with this and you go inside. When you get in don't fight ok? Otherwise you'll come back out.” Pikachu quickly relayed this.

“I promise, once it's safe I'll let you out.” Celebi nodded. Zayn lightly tapped the Pokemon's head with the ball and it quickly floated _just_ above Zayn's hand and burst open. Celebi was pulled inside with a flash of light and the Poke Ball fell back into Zayn's hand. He watched the front of it blink three times, then let out a clicking noise as the capture was completed and it shrunk back small. At her capture, he heard his Pokedex let out a small chime, letting Zayn know that Celebi's data was added.

“I'll let you out soon Celebi I promise.” Zayn whispered to the ball. He clipped it back onto his belt and would have pulled out his Pokedex to see what it knew about the Pokemon, but he knew he didn't have the time as the van slowed down and parked in front of them. Lucario stepped back next to his trainer. Zayn noted that he was tensed and ready to fight. The young trainer frowned, the windows of the van were tinted and he couldn't see inside. The driver's side door suddenly opened and Zayn was...taken aback, because _that_ was not what he expected to come out of the vehicle.

The stranger was completely shirtless and ripped as hell. Zayn noticed the cool tattoos that covered his white arms. The Alpha (because he was without a doubt an Alpha) was incredibly handsome and wearing slick jet black sunglasses. He was wearing knee length black shorts and a fitting black leather belt with a few Poke Balls attached to it of different varieties. Zayn tried to keep his composure as the attractive as hell Alpha pulled off his sunglasses and gave Zayn a charming smile. The Alphas brown eyes glittered and he scratched at his well kept beard and made a small attempt to fix up his short hair before speaking. His deep voice made electricity run up Zayn's body as if Pikachu had shocked him.

“Well, didn't expect to find an Omega out here…” he drawled, smiling coyly as he looked Zayn over.

“So sure I'm an Omega?” Zayn quipped. The Alpha laughed softly at that.

“No offense or anything but it's fairly obvious. You have a very sweet smell.” Zayn blushed but decided not to respond to that.

“...can I help you with something?” The Alpha took a step forward, then another before Lucario stepped forward. The Alpha turned on Lucario and smiled.

“Very protective, you're a strong one I can tell.” The Alpha raised his hands and smiled.

“I'm a friend, I mean you no harm I promise.” Zayn huffed.

“Friends give names.”

“It's Liam, call me Liam.” The Alpha said with that sweet smile never leaving his face. Zayn took time to ruminate on this before answering. 

“I'm Zayn, just Zayn.”

“ _Zayn_... you've a lovely name, it's nice to meet you and your friends here.” Liam lowered his hands.

“Now that we are friends, I feel like I can ask you a question. I'm looking for a Pokemon, small little green grass/psychic type Pokemon. Goes by the name of Celebi…” 

“What's your business with Celebi?” Zayn asked wearily. Liam must have sensed the fear, he frowned.

“Don't want to hurt her, I'm actually trying to save her. You know of Team Rocket?” Zayn's eyes widened in surprise, of course he had heard of Team Rocket. They were a group of criminals who used Pokemon to commit crimes. Their main goal (as far as anyone can tell anyway) is to steal peoples Pokemon, create panic and terror, then use the panic created to steal things. It was a bad organization run by a mysterious and evil mastermind, who people only know as 'Shiva'. 

“Yeah, who hasn't heard of those monsters?” he replied. Liam nodded.

“Celebi has been in hibernation for over 100 years. Team Rocket moved in and prematurely woke her up. They captured her and were going to do... _something_ with her. But I stopped them and she escaped, I've been chasing after her because I highly doubt Team Rocket is going to give up on her so easy.”

“And you're...what, just a good Samaritan?” Zayn asked. He smiled.

“Suppose you could say that…I mess with Team Rocket whenever I'm in the area and I hear they are up to no good. They're bad people Zayn.” he nodded.

“Something you and I agree on…” the boy bit his lip, the handsome stranger didn't _seem_ like he was lying, he felt genuine when he said he's just trying to help Celebi...should Zayn trust him?

“If you don't mind me asking, what are _you_ doing out here?” The Omega sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

“Well...we _were_ on our way to Desert Town so I could challenge the Gym Leader…”

“Ahh on gym 2 huh? I'm impressed! You managed to beat Silvia with just those two!” Liam smirked. Pikachu scoffed from his shoulder.

“She was easy, Luca and I wiped the floor with her!” Zayn side eyed the Pikachu.

“Hey now, she put up a good fight and I remember having to make a trip to the Pokecenter after.” Pikachu tsked and looked away.

“Oy, he doesn't need to know that…” he turned and noticed Liam's shocked look.

“Woah...I understood your Pikachu.”

“Oh, yeah. Pikachu here knows human speech. Lucario too...to an extent. He's still learning.”

“Yes, I picked it up rather quickly. I'm teaching Luca but some words are still hard for him. He is a work in progress but we love him all the same.” Pikachu said with a coy smile on his face as he looked at Lucario, who shot him a look of annoyance before turning to look back at Liam. The Alpha in question was smiling.

"You three have been together for a while, I can tell.” Zayn smiled.

“Pikachu since I was 5, Lucario here since I was 9.” the man laughed.

“And how old are you?”

“M'twenty.”

“That's cool, I'm twenty seven myself...”

“Friends?” Lucario suddenly asked. Liam turned on him in surprise.

“What…?” He turned to follow the Lucario's gaze, 5 motorcycles were barreling down the highway towards them. Zayn noticed Liam's shoulders tense. 

“No, not friends...Team Rocket.” Pikachu let out a growl at that.

“Let them come! I will electrocute each and every single one of those Pokemon stealing hooligans!” Liam chuckled at that.

“I like the enthusiasm...but I'm the one they are pissed at, I'll take care of them.” Liam looked over at the trios motorcycle.

“You three should leave, head for Desert Town and I'll meet you…”

“Ah...that's right, we didn't finish telling you...we were on the way to Desert Town but my motorcycle broke down…” Liam frowned.

“That's... alright. These guys are nothing more than thugs with bigger talk than actual bite. Just stay behind me and let me do the talking.”

“Can you handle 5 of them by yourself?” Zayn asked worriedly. Liam chuckled at that.

“Oh yeah, if these are just low level grunts I can handle them.”

“Lucario and I will be here to save you if you fail so don't worry Mr. Liam!” Pikachu yelled as the motorcycles got almost deafeningly loud as they approached. Liam gave the Pokemon a quick thumbs up as the motorcycles zipped around them. Zayn tensed as the motorcycles circled them. He noticed each of them wore helmets with large red R's decorating them. The 5 Rocket members finally parked about 10 feet away from the party, parking off the road and next to what looked like a cactus. All 5 members stepped off their motorcycles at the same time (Zayn had the hilarious thought that they must practice that often). One of the Rocket members stepped forward, he wore a black leather jacket and underneath a black T shirt with a giant red R on it.

“Where's the Pokemon?!” The man growled. He tossed out a Poke Ball, it burst open and soon a large Beedrill was buzzing about in front of him, it's little lance arms looking deadly sharp (and full of poison if Zayn remembered the entry right).

“Mate, get back on your little tricycles and go. You really don't want this fight, Celebi isn't even here.” Liam said. The man pulled off his helmet, revealing an ugly sneer and jet black hair that covered half of his face. He turned and looked right at Zayn.

“And who the fuck is _this_ then?”

“Someone who isn't involved, he's just some Omega who's motorcycle broke down and I stopped to help because I'm a good person and not a Pokemon stealing, abusing…”

“Trash! They're trash!” Pikachu growled from Liam's shoulder. Zayn just turned to look at his shoulder, then back at the surprised looking Liam, when the hell did Pikachu even…

“Did...did that Pikachu just talk?” The man said, looking shocked.

“No, it's a ventriloquist thing I…”

“You're damn right I am talking you gross pig man with your stupid face and your terrible haircut! I'm not even human and even I know a face like yours would make mother's weep everywhere you go, you Pokemon stealing _degenerate!_ You better go beat these punks up before I go do it myself!” Pikachu lightly patted the side of Liam's head, who just huffed at him. Zayn just groaned and shook his head. When his Pikachu got very _passionate_ about something, he had a tendency to talk very big talk (complete with a colorful assortment of insults) and then rely on others (usually Lucario and Zayn) to back him up on said talk and unfortunately, 9/10 times Luca and Zayn have to go along with it.

“You have a bit of a self control issue when it comes to the whole talking thing don't you?” Pikachu huffed right back at the Alpha.

“Are you going to do something or…”

“ _Poison sting!”_ The man growled. The Beedrill suddenly buzzed loudly and shot out a few poisoned barbs. Liam quickly dodged to the left and the barbs slammed harmlessly into the ground.

“OY!” Liam growled in anger. Pikachu crackled with electricity, Zayn knew Pikachu well enough to know when he was truly furious and ready to start electrocuting things. His fur was puffed out, and he looked like he was about to pounce…

But a blue ball of energy came spiraling through the air and slammed right into the Beedrill, resulting in a decent sized explosion. Zayn turned on Lucario and smiled.

“Good shot Luca, you're getting good with 'Aura Sphere’.”

“Thank you Zayn…”

“Kill the trainers, take the Pokemon boys!” The leader snarled. He returned the unconscious Beedrill to its home and tossed out another Pokemon. This time he summoned a Koffing. The other trainers all threw out their own Pokemon. Two more giant floating gasbags known as Koffing and two of the snake Pokemon Ekans.

“Alright you guys, for real stand back…” Liam said, grabbing two Poke Balls from his belt. He grinned as he tossed both at the same time and they burst open just two feet apart. Zayn's eyes widened at the sight of a full fledged Blaziken and a large fiery red cat looking Pokemon he had never seen before. He couldn't help himself and he pulled out the Pokedex to scan it.

  
_Incineroar (Japanese: ガオガエン Gaogaen) is a dual-type Fire/Dark Pokémon. Incineroar is a bipedal, feline Pokémon with a muscular build._

_It is known as the Heel Pokémon._ _  
__As its fighting spirit increases, the flames that Incineroar produces within its body burst from its navel and waistline (some say it resembles a pro wrestlers belt). In the heat of battle, Incineroar shows no concern for its opponents - and sometimes even launches attacks that strike the opposing Trainer! As a result, many tend to dislike this Pokémon and keep it at a distance as it is a very hard Pokemon to control. Incineroar is the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Darkest Lariat._

  
  


Zayn quickly scrolled through and read the info as Liam and the leader had started arguing again and no one had made a move...yet.

“That cat is taller than me.” Luca suddenly said. Zayn finished what he was reading and then turned on Lucario.

“What?”

“The... _Incineroar_ is, he is...taller than me.” Zayn chuckled and gave him a confused look.

“O...k? You're 4 ft tall, that's quite a bit above average Luca.”

“Yes, but he is as tall as this Liam man and Liam is 6.1 inches tall.” Zayn just raised an eyebrow.

“You ok Luca?” Lucario quickly shook his head.

“It's...it's nothing, sorry.” He continued to watch the enemy and Zayn almost said something (because that was weird and very unlike Luca) but Zayn decided to drop it as suddenly the Incineroar looked down at Liam with an annoyed look on its face. Zayn noticed there was a moment of tension between the two of them.

“Uh, _excuse me_. We were talking!” The leader of the Team Rocket members growled. Liam ignored him and continued to have his staring contest. Finally, Liam just sighed loudly and nodded.

“Fine, just don't kill anyone.” Incineroar suddenly grinned, he turned on his enemy and Zayn's eyes lit up as flame burst from it's waistline (Zayn definitely saw the resemblance to a pro wrestlers belt) and the Incineroar was grinning as he suddenly dove forward and stroke. Zayn was shocked at how quickly and easily the Pokemon took out his enemies. His punches and kicks were exact and devastating. He easily tore through the Pokemon, then after tossing them into a pile, finished them all off with a massively powerful _Fire Blast_ attack. After the dust cleared, the Incineroar was left staring just a few feet away at the Team Rocket members with a cocky grin on his face, while their Pokemon sat unconscious in a charred heap.

“D-don't think you've won yet!” The leader growled. He and his teammates returned their Pokemon, then the leader pulled out a third Poke Ball. It stopped in the air and out shot the ground/poison type Pokemon Nidoking.

“One swing from Nidokings tail can snap a telephone pole like it's a matchstick! I've seen it too...can your stupid cat do _that!?_ ” Zayn noticed the big cat tense at that, Liam laughed.

“Oh, mate...you really shouldn't have said that.” The Incineroar _roared_ in anger and Zayn noticed the belt burn brighter and hotter. It suddenly spread its arms and began to very quickly spin in place.

“What the hell is it doing!?” The leader cried.

“A move only he can do...you might want to move!” Liam laughed. Incineroar suddenly shot forward, it's body having caught fire now and it looked from the outside like a large, fiery tornado. The tornado exploded forward, moving shocking fast. It slammed into the Nidoking, which let out a mighty roar as it flew backwards. It slammed into the motorcycles and somehow managed to destroy each and every one. The Incineroar stopped, grinning wildly as he stared down at the terrified trainer.

“W-we surrender!” The man yelled, quickly raising his hands. Liam nodded.

“Good...well, you better run away now and go tell your boss that you failed miserably.” The leader quickly retrieved his Nidoking, then started running back down the highway as fast as he could. The rest of them followed suit and Zayn let out the breath he had been holding in for ages.

“Well, we sure showed them!” Pikachu nodded happily. Liam chuckled and patted his fuzzy cheek.

“That we did, though you _really_ need to learn to think before you speak.” Pikachu scoffed and jumped off his shoulder and ran back over to Zayn. 

“That's not-”

“Pikachu it's _very_ true, you know this because Lucario and I have been hammering that into you for years now.” Zayn scolded. Pikachu mumbled something and just looked away from them stubbornly. Zayn rolled his eyes and looked up at Liam. The Alpha smiled at him.

“Well...now that that's over, how about I help you out? We can strap your bike down on top of the van and I can get you to Desert Town. Should be able to find a mechanic there.” Zayn shrugged.

“I'm not that attached to it...it's a rental.” Liam frowned.

“Well shit, we better make sure you get your money back…”

“Oh we will.” he chuckled. Liam looked over at his two Pokemon.

“You two mind grabbing his bike and putting it on the van?” Blaziken just nodded and started walking over to the vehicle, Incineroar however looked annoyed and glared down at Liam. The Alpha frowned back.

“Oh come on, it'll take 5 seconds…I'll even get you a steak for dinner.” The Incineroar eyes lit up and he quickly jogged over to the vehicle. Zayn was watching them work when Liam was suddenly standing right in front of him, just a few inches away and...Zayn thought his muscles somehow looked even bigger up close.

“So Zayn…”

“How are you talking to the Incineroar? My Pokedex didn't say it's a psychic type but you two have clearly been communicating even though he hasn't uttered a word.”he asked. The Alpha just smiled.

“Oh, that...it's a new Pokelink upgrade.” Zayn's eyes widened.

“It let's you…”

“It let's me and all my Pokemon be able to talk in our heads. It's super useful for battle as I don't have to yell out commands, I just send them via the link. You do have a Pokelink right?” Zayn scoffed. 

“Of course I do…” he turned his head and pulled his hair back to show off his ear. Sitting behind the lobe was a small, purple chip.

The Pokelink was an essential thing to have if one is to become a trainer. The Pokelink is a small chip that sits behind the ear. It clips into your skin and it cannot be forcibly removed short of carving it out with a knife. Whenever a Pokemon is first captured, the ball they are caught in will insert a small, harmless chip into the Pokemon similar to the trainers. Thanks to the Pokedex both trainer and Pokemon are now linked too, they can now break through the language barrier and be able to talk to one another. This only applies to the trainers own Pokemon however and not other people's.

“I just...hadn't heard about that upgrade.” Liam smiled.

“It's pretty new I'm not too surprised...” Zayn smiled..

“Well, it's pretty cool.” Liam nodded.

“It is...you know, if you wanted, I could share the upgrade with you.” Zayn's eyes widened.

“Really?” He smiled.

“Sure, it's pretty easy to do and doesn't take long.” he smiled and quickly nodded. The ability to be able to communicate with Luca and Pikachu with just a thought? How could he pass that up...and it meant he got to spend more time with Liam. Not that that had a huge impact on his decision or anything...

“How could I say no to that? Thank you so much Liam!” The man nodded and gave him a sweet smile that sent a little wave of butterflies through his stomach.

“The local inn is also a bathhouse. We could relax in that while we update, on me of course.” Liam grinned. Zayn blushed. A bathhouse? As in, he'd be naked in front of this insanely attractive Alpha he just met about 5 minutes ago? The Alpha frowned suddenly and distracted the Omega from his anxiety.

“Before we get to that though, I need to find Celebi…”

“No worries, she's safe.” The Omega grinned. He plucked the Poke Ball from his belt and held it up. Liam's mouth dropped.

“You...you caught a legendary Pokemon _with a Poke Ball?!_ ” He laughed at the Alpha's surprise.

“Yes I did but it's not what you think…” Zayn quickly explained his encounter with Celebi.

“Ah, I see that was clever thinking...let's let her out then yeah?” he nodded and tossed the ball into the air. It burst open and Celebi was soon floating in front of them.

“Hello Celebi, we should be able to talk now!” he smiled. The Pokemon went to speak, but froze and fluttered nervously at the sight of Liam.

“Don't worry Bee, he's a friend.”he said reassuringly. Celebi looked away from the Alpha and back to Zayn.

“Celebi, Cele, Celebi!” He was surprised as she repeated her name.

“Oh, is the Pokelink not working?” Liam let out a thoughtful hum.

“It might be because she is a Legendary. The Pokelink might not be able to translate because there is too little data on her.” The Omega huffed.

“Ah, well thats lame...oh well, Pikachu you’ll just have to translate for us.”

“I shall do my best!” He said. The young trainer nodded at him before turning back to the Celebi.

“Now that we aren't in a rush we can properly introduce ourselves! You should know who your new best friends are!” Celebi smiled and giggled softly, her wings chimed like tiny little bells.

“I'm Zayn Malik, but just call me Zayn.”

“Celebi.” Celebi repeated. He smiled

“That's right.”

"Malik?" Zayn chuckled awkwardly.

"Ah, yeah..."

"Are you related to Yaser, the Gym Leader in Bradford City?" He nodded awkwardly.

"Yeah, that's dad..."

"So that makes you related to Doniya right?" He blinked in surprise.

"Y-yeah, do you know her?" The man chuckled awkwardly.

"Ah, I should probably fully introduce myself..." He held out his hand.

“Payne. Liam Payne.” Zayn's eyes widened.

“Um...Payne?” The Alpha nodded.

"Yup."

“Are you related to um...Geoff Payne? T-the…” Zayn was so shocked he couldn't finish.

“Member of the Elite Four? The...'Master of Metal’?” Liam laughed awkwardly.

“Yeah, that's dad…” Zayn felt very anxious suddenly and Celebi chimed at him and patted his head. Zayn laughed weakly and patted the top of Celebi's head in return.

“Thanks Celebi.” Celebi let out a massive yawn suddenly and Zayn smiled.

“How about you rest up eh? Just sleep in the ball ok?” She nodded and happily returned to her ball to rest. Zayn slowly turned to look up at the Alpha, who was smiling.

“So... you're a bit of a celebrity then.” Zayn laughed. He shrugged.

“A bit I suppose...but how about we talk on the drive hmm? We've been out in this heat way too long.” Zayn nodded in agreement, he turned to call his Pokemon, but froze when he noticed Lucario and Incineroar standing right in front of each other, staring one another down.

“Oy!” Liam said, frowning.

“Lucario?” Zayn said in a questioning voice, feeling immensely confused.

“ _I can take him._ ” Lucario growled, seeming shockingly angry. The Incineroar growled in anger and said something Zayn unfortunately couldn't understand.

“He wants permission to duel Lucario.” Liam said with a frown. Zayn frowned at this and stared at his friend.

“Luca…”

“I'm not asking you to understand but please let me do this.” Lucario said. Zayn sighed.

“I...fine, but it gets too serious I'm returning you _immediately._ ” Zayn said.

“Same for you Incineroar, you go too hard and it's double our morning training.” Liam warned. The Incineroar flinched at that but nodded.

“Alright...move away from the vehicles guys really don't need the van wrecked.” The Alpha said. The two suddenly dashed away and Zayn sighed as their battle began.

“What is up with Luca?” Zayn asked, looking down at Pikachu.

“I don't know, he is acting pretty peculiar though.” Pikachu said, frowning as he watched the duel.

“I assume him challenging Pokemon is weird?” Liam asked. The duo looked up at Liam, who was giving them curious looks.

“Yeah, he's normally very in control of his emotions. Lots of meditation he isn't super confrontational.” The Omega frowned. The man nodded.

“Ah, how long has he been evolved?”

“Oh, um, 3 years.”

“Ah, so -” Pikachu suddenly let out a low hiss of pain and Zayn quickly turned to follow his gaze. Incineroar had Lucario penned with a knee and he had his arm in a painfully twisted position. Liam turned on Zayn.

“Want me to go stop them?” he just sighed and nodded.

“Yeah, if you don't mind…” Liam smiled.

“No problem at all...I'm regularly having to rein him in.” He turned on the Incineroar and gave him a serious look. The Pokemon stopped and turned to look up at him. Zayn gathered they had some kind of conversation because soon enough the Pokemon was letting Lucario go. Luca dusted himself off and started to limp indignantly away from the fire cat and back towards Zayn and Pikachu. He fell on his knees on the way back and would have fallen completely if the cat Pokemon hadn't suddenly grabbed him and picked him up. He carried Lucario back over to them and set him down right in front of the group. Lucario said nothing to this, he simply limped away refusing to look at any of them. Zayn just sighed after his surprisingly prideful Pokemon and looked up at Incineroar.

"Thank you for accepting his challenge and helping him after." The Pokemon didn't react at first, but eventually it just let out a low rumbling repeating of its name and it turned around. Liam let out a sigh and he returned the Pokemon to it's ball.

"He said you're welcome...sorry about him, he's a hothead no pun intended." Zayn smiled at the attractive Alpha.

"It's cool, I'm no stranger to difficult Pokemon." Pikachu chuckled weakly.

"That's an understatement…" Zayn gently flicked the Pokemons ear and continued to smile at the attractive...err, at the Alpha. The man just smiled back and gestured to the van. They piled inside and soon were off. Zayn took the time to observe his new surroundings while he let Lucario rest in his Great Ball and Pikachu was distracted talking Liam's ear off (Zayn took it as a sign that he liked the Alpha). He went a bit wide eyed as he stared in the back. He saw a small futon in the middle, a small foldout chair, a mini fridge...oh, and a three screened, very high tech looking computer. He blushed when he saw some of the Alphas old clothes tossed a bit haphazardly in a small bin. He noted the tight black boxer briefs and blushed as the image of the Alpha in just those underwear popped into his head and he felt a little faint. He looked up, and blushed harder as he noticed the Alpha looking at him. The Alpha gave him an unreadable look but almost immediately turned back to the road and responded to whatever Pikachu said. Zayn decided to keep his eyes on the road until they were in town.

* * *

'Desert Town' was a fairly large town, located at the beginning of a massive pass called The Great Desert Pass. The town was the only respite for miles in the desert. It had everything you'd need though, a Pokemart and Pokecenter, a few inns for weary travelers, and one of the only sources of water for miles. There were rope and wood bridges leading up to small huts built into the sides of the rock wall, Zayn could see one was being built now by what looked like two guys and a Machamp. Liam pulled up just outside the rental place and nodded at Zayn.

"I'll get the bike down, you go ahead and get your money back." Zayn nodded.

"Right, thank you Liam." He smiled.

"Of course...when you're done, there is this Chinese place that is absolutely gangster if you want. On me of course." He grinned.

"How could I turn that down? It'll give us time to talk about Celebi as well." Liam just smiled as he started undoing the ropes.

"Among other things." Zayn just blushed, unsure how to respond to that, and turned to walk inside.

"That Liam sure is an attractive guy yes? I still struggle to understand how humans find other humans attractive but judging by how red you get everytime he looks at you…"

"Pikachu? Stop talking." Zayn huffed at him on his shoulder. The Pokemon just shrugged.

"I'm just saying, you seem to like him... sexually."

"Stop. Talking. Pika.Chu." he chimed in a sing sing voice as they walked inside. The Pokemon just shrugged.

"Hey, I just calls it like I sees it." He ignored him and walked up to the counter. After a few minutes of talking to the rental lady (along with about 40 apologies from her) he got his money back and she offered to give him another rental free of charge. He took her up on the offer but noted he probably wouldn't come back for it for at least a day or two. He wasn't sure how long the Gym Leader would take him to defeat, whoever they are. He walked outside and found Liam and his Blaziken rolling the bike up to the parking spot.

"Get your money back then?" The shirtless Alpha asked. He nodded, trying not to get caught staring at the man's chiseled abs. 

"Ah, yeah it was no problem. My next rental is free."

"Cool…" Zayn fake coughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"So, ah this Chinese food place…" Liam's eyes lit up as he gave the boy this crinkly eyed smile that made his stomach drop like he was going down a steep hill or a rollercoaster.

"Right, it's not too far from here. Afterwards, if you are up for it, there's that bathhouse I mentioned here that I think you'd love. A good friend of mine and her mum run the place so we will get a great deal." Zayn's eyes lit up.

"We would love to take you up on that." He nodded.

"Awesome, but for now…" he gestured to the van and the boy nodded and got back in. The two chatted as they drove, getting a bit of privacy as Pikachu had struck up a conversation with Blaziken in the back.

"So, family?" Liam asked. Zayn smiled.

"Yes, I have some family." he chuckled.

"You know what I meant, cheeky Omega." He giggled and shrugged.

"I got three sisters and my dad. My sister Safaa just turned 16, she's the youngest. She is going to be a Pokemon doctor, at least that's what she wants to be. My second sister Waliyha is 19 and living over in Fayz City."

"Wow, what's she doing over in Techno Land?" He asked. He chuckled at Liam's use of the cities nickname. It was a huge city that was known for being very high tech and futuristic looking, most of the world's major tech companies are there.

"She's a lead researcher for Pokelink Inc. She basically runs a bunch of different departments that are constantly researching improvements for Pokelinks, Pokedex, and I think Pokemon storage as well."

"Wow, all that at 19?" Zayn nodded.

"We found out she was a genius when she was 5. She has an insane knack for technology. She graduated early and was in college for a few years before she got hired and the rest is history."

"Wow, that's crazy...and that makes you second oldest then?" Zayn nodded proudly.

"Not a super genius or a doctor, but I ah...wanted to take in my mum's footsteps and adventure with Pokemon for a while." Liam nodded.

"I completely respect that, I think it's cool that you're challenging the gyms. I have challenged them myself you know." Zayn smirked.

"Oh yeah? And how many have you gotten?"the Alpha chuckled almost awkwardly.

"Ah, well...all of them. I got all my badges." he blinked in shock.

"Oh...wow, you and your Pokemon really are tough. Feel a bit bad for Luca now, didn't have much of a chance…" Liam shrugged.

"It's good for him to fight opponents who are stronger, it's how he will get better." he smiled.

"I'm sure you'd know." He laughed.

"Yeah, suppose I do." He parked the car and the two entered the small little noodle shop (though it took a minute because Liam forgot he had to wear a shirt and ran back to the van to find a clean one). Zayn let Luca out of his ball so he could go eat with Pikachu and Blaziken. Zayn thought about letting Celebi out as well, but changed his mind as he wasn't sure if it was safe to do so. The shop had a Pokemon section and a human section. A kind looking elderly woman led the Pokemon to their side while a young looking Omega boy with a mop of blond and curly hair led them to the human side. After getting their orders, he went off to fetch their drinks.

"So, your Doniya's brother eh?" Liam asked. Zayn laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, Doni is my big sister. I suppose you would know her, what with her being in the Elite Four with your dad..."

"Man, that's pretty crazy I'd meet Doni's brother out here."

"I'm assuming you know her through your dad?"

"Ah...yeah, my dad's the oldest member of the Elite Four. Been in his position for 30 years because his 'Steel Army', as he likes to call his Pokemon, are incredibly strong and he's sort of a mentor figure for new members. Your sister comes to him for advice pretty often, they're good friends." Zayn nodded.

"Makes sense, Doni is always looking to learn from people she knows have more experience than her. She kind of took the same route I'm taking in life. We both...want to be stronger than our mother." He gave him a curious look.

"Is she ah...still alive? Sorry, if that's too personal-"

"No no, it's understandable Liam. Ah, yeah she is still alive… as far as I know. I'd rather not go into it…"

"Ok, that's perfectly fine…" Zayn blushed as the Alpha reached forward and squeezed his hand.

"Sorry, if I upset you." He just nodded and smiled at him.

"I'm alright, thank you." Liam let his hand sit just a few seconds longer, his eyes stared into Zayn's and the Omega felt heat swell in his stomach as the Alpha gently squeezed his hand. The Alpha let go suddenly, he leaned back and let out a weak chuckle and a shaky breath as Zayn fell back and tried to hide how red his cheeks were.

"Well, um…" Zayn stopped talking when the waiter suddenly came back with their drinks and left again. Zayn took a long drink and found himself staring at the Alphas chest.

"You've a lovely smell." His cheeks were beet red as he slowly looked up to meet the Alphas eyes.

"When I grabbed your hand it bloomed up is all...it's ah, a very nice smell."

"...you like it?" Liam blinked in surprise, but soon was nodding.

"Yes, it's sweet but a little sharp, something that just...prickles my nose a little. I like it." he continued to blush and looked away embarassed.

"Well, um...thank you for saying so." The man just stared as he nodded slowly.

"Yeah, um, yeah." Zayn decided maybe they should change the subject as his cheeks actually ached with how red they were.

"S-so. What about your family Liam?" He smiled softly before giving a weak shrug.

"Ah, well. You know what my dad does. My mum and him live on a small farm just off Victory road, the road that leads to the Elite Four complex in Champions Mountain? I have two sisters myself and I'm the youngest. My sister Ruth is the second oldest, she's a professional Pokemon behavioral specialist. If a Pokemon is having mental issues, you call her. My eldest sister is Nicola, she works at the Pokemon Safari over in Greendale. I believe she's head manager or something, I'm not actually sure…"

"And you? What's your job Liam?" He noticed the Alphas eyes seemed hesitant.

"Oh, ah...it's a bit complicated actually." The Omega raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Top secret then? You a spy or something?" the man laughed softly.

"No no, not a spy or anything. I'm just…taking a hiatus from my job is all. So I'm sort of working another job in the meantime." The Omega gave him a curious look.

"Ok? And you can't tell me what either job is?" He frowned.

"I can tell you what I'm currently doing…" he leaned forward, so Zayn followed suit.

"I told you earlier I am messing with Team Rocket... I've been investigating them, trying to figure out what they have been doing lately."

"Have they been acting strangely?" Liam nodded.

"They usually aren't super organized and their MO hasn't changed. Beat up trainers, steal their Pokemon. There hasn't really been any pattern to what or who they attack either. But lately...they've gotten a lot more picky, probably thanks to this Shiva person who's taken over the organization. They are making much stronger attacks, more organized and less random. They have also been spotted around old caves and ruins that are said to contain legendary Pokemon. As far as I know they haven't made any progress on that front, aside from Celebi of course, but all of this tells me they are looking for something. They have a plan and they need incredibly strong Pokemon to do it." 

Zayn felt a bit of anxiety fill his gut. Strong Pokemon huh…?

"So, Celebi is a part of that plan then?" The man nodded.

"Yeah she is, somehow. I snuck into their base here in the desert and found her strapped to some kind of machine. When they turned it on, it started to sap the energy from Celebi. I could literally see her life force draining...I didn't think. I just summoned Incineroar and Blaziken and told them to destroy everything and save Celebi. They wrecked the base and destroyed the machine, but I couldn't get to Celebi. She flew into an air duct and I lost her. When we made our escape, I saw her far off flying away so we chased after her. Then we found you and...well, the rest is history." Zayn laughed.

"You've had a day then." Liam laughed as well.

"Just a bit yeah." The waiter suddenly returned and brought them both their food. Zayn's mouth watered a little as the smell hit him and how hungry he was became very apparent.

"This smells delicious." He said, breaking apart his chopsticks. Liam grinned.

"I lived here briefly 2 years back and got addicted to this place, came here almost every day."

"I can see why!" He laughed, taking a deep smell of the food.

"Smells so bloody good…" Liam laughed and gave him a sweet smile.

"Dig in Zee, I'm sure you must be starving." Zayn felt a soft blush cross his cheeks when the Alpha called him Zee, but he just ignored it and decided to distract himself by eating. They ate and talked for a long time. They both seemed to like each other a lot as conversation flowed easily between them. There was never a pause in conversation and Zayn found himself to be having a truly wonderful time.

He tended to avoid Alphas for a myriad of reasons, but the biggest reason was that they made him nervous, and fearful. He’d heard all the horror stories, of Alphas losing control of themselves and doing messed up and terrible things to Omegas. It didn’t help that his Mum was an Alpha who wasn’t particularly kind or caring. This all resulted in his natural fear of Alphas. This Liam however...he was incredibly kind and terribly handsome. His eyes lit up as he told Zayn about his interests and about his Pokemon. How he’d raised Blaziken from just a Torchic and the Omega couldn’t help but be mesmerized by his enthusiasm and energy. His happiness was infectious, the boy felt happier just by being around him. He laughed at the mans silly jokes, was enthralled as he told Zayn about a very perilous encounter with Team Rocket, and felt want as the man talked about his tattoo on his massive bicep.

“Zayn?” He blinked rapidly and looked down towards the ground, Pikachu was staring up at him with a knowing smirk that kind of pissed Zayn off.

“Yes my lovely Pikachu?”

“Ah! Lovely am I? Yes it's true, my fur certainly is the softest of all my Pokemon brethren. And who else but a Pikachu is cute as a button and can power a whole city block by himself?”

“Did you need something?” He said, already feeling exasperated. He just gave the Omega a sickeningly sweet smile and said.

“We are all done eat and ready to go. Luca’s feeling better after he ate too by the way.” He nodded.

“Alright, we’ll be there shortly.” Pikachu nodded, but jumped up on the table to grab a fortune cookie before walking happily back to his table.

“Little menace I swear.” he sighed. Liam just chuckled at his new companion.

“Yeah, he’s got quite a brain on him...but he’s still a Pikachu at heart.”

“He’s got quite a mouth on him as well, you should hear him when he gets mad. Sometimes he sounds ridiculous, other times he’s downright savage.” The man laughed as they both stood.

“You’re lucky you can’t hear what Inciniroar says...what's that saying? Curses like a sailor? Or something like that…” He giggled, blushing a little as the man softly pushed Zayn forward with a gentle hand against the small of his back. They made it to the front and Liam paid, laughing and shaking the man behind the counters hand. The man spoke in Mandarin and the Alpha replied in very fluent Mandarin, which the Omega certainly wasn't expecting. Zayn felt Pikachu jump up on his shoulder as they all walked out together. Lucario told the Omega that he was feeling better, but was still a bit tired so Zayn returned him to his Great Ball to rest.

“So! Where is this Gym Leader? I am raring for a fight after our run-in with those gross Team Rocket monsters…”

“Tomorrow Pikachu, it’s already 4 and we’ve had a bit of a day.” The Pokemon just let out a scoff.

“You just want to be lazy and go lay in a bathhouse all day with the pretty Alpha.” Zayn gave the Pokemon a death glare that made him quickly shoot off his shoulder and hop onto Liam's shoulder. He blushed (why was he bloody blushing so much!?) as the Alpha laughed softly at this.

"He's right Pikachu, would be smarter to rest up and try it tomorrow. The Gym Leader here is a lot stronger than the last one." Pikachu rolled his eyes but said nothing. The Omega just sighed and gave the Alpha a tired look. That made the man laugh again before gesturing for the van.

* * *

"Welcome to the Styles Family Resort! My name's Anna! How can-" the older woman stopped talking as Liam entered the large wooden building that kind of reminded Zayn of a giant log cabin. There was the front desk with a small waterfall behind it. The walls were lined with lights and some very beautiful art of Pokemon and the environment. Zayn noted a sign to his left that seemed to indicate all the inn rooms were over on that side, while another sign pointed to the right and showed the way to the bathhouse.

" _Liam Payne!_ " The woman laughed, quickly running around the counter to pull the muscular man into a hug. She was a very beautiful woman, her black hair was done up in a large bun on her head. She had sharp red fingernails and looked to be around her 50's, but that didn't seem to stop her from having a very fit body that she didn't have a problem showing off in shorts and a white T shirt that had the businesses logo on it.

"You've grown! You're not that little skinny boy with curly hair anymore! How long has it been love?" Liam laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, 2 years I think? I'm sorry I haven't visited, been a bit busy…" she chuckled.

"I'm sure...the tattoos are new, and the giant bowling ball arms." He laughed again, Zayn smiled because he could tell the Alpha was getting embarrassed. She patted his cheek and smiled.

"You look good darling, how are the parents doing?" He nodded.

"Mum's doing great, still taking care of her garden and my dad."

"He's still in the Elite Four right? I'm sure I'd have heard if that man finally retired or not." He nodded.

"Of course, he's made it clear he's not leaving that position 'until he damn well feels like it'." She laughed.

"Sounds like Geoff…" she turned away from him and back to Zayn.

"I'm sorry my dear, I'm being incredibly rude. Well, c'mon Liam introduce me to your boyfriend!" Zayns cheeks turned fiery red, the soft giggling of Pikachu could be heard right in his ear and he flicked the Pokemons tail. Liam laughed awkwardly again.

"Ah, actually Anna he and I aren't together. I just met him today actually…" he quickly explained to her what had happened, when he finished she had a very unhappy look on her face.

"Damn, I can't believe those monsters are around here. I've been trying to keep up on the news on them, but I didn't know Team Rocket had moved into the area...glad you were around to take care of them dear." She turned to look down at Zayn and gave him a sweet smile.

"Well regardless, I'm glad to meet you darling. My name is Anna Styles, owner of this establishment...and Gym Leader of Desert Town." Zayn's eyes widened comically.

"You...oh." Pikachu crackled softly with electricity, Zayn knew this meant he was excited.

"Oh! So will you give us a proper challenge then? I'm ready to fight now but Zayn says we have to wait." Anna blinked in surprise at the Pikachu.

"Did...how are you doing that? Is that a ventriloquist trick or something?" Zayn laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, he's learned human speech actually. The real trick is trying to get him to stop talking…" she laughed.

"That's amazing...and to answer your question Pikachu, I'm afraid I've already had three challengers today so I need to let my Pokemon rest. But rest assured! You will certainly be my first challenger of the day first thing tomorrow." Pikachu nodded.

"I suppose that will suffice. I'm very ready to fight after that run in with those R wearing hooligans." Anna seemed very amused by the Pokemon and nodded.

"No worries, I'm sure I will provide a good challenge for you." She looked at Zayn next and gave him a curious look.

"And your name darling?" He shook his head.

"Sorry, I'm Zayn. Zayn Malik." She, unexpectedly, laughed all of a sudden.

"I knew it! You look so much like your parents darling, I've had this strange feeling of recognition since you walked in and it was nagging at me!" He laughed.

"Yeah, I get told that a lot." She smiled.

"Another Malik come to challenge me then? I swear you lot always provide the most entertaining battles I'm looking forward to it. So, do you have three Pokemon?" he blinked in surprise.

"Sorry?" She smiled.

"Ah, perhaps I should explain the rules of my gym." Each gym came with its own set of rules, put in place by whoever is the Gym Leader at that time. They can't put any rules on the types of Pokemon you use (for example,a Gym Leader can't put a rule that says you can't use fire types) but they can restrict how many Pokemon you can use, how long the matches last, use of items, among other things. 

"Mine are fairly simple. You need three Pokemon to enter. No items allowed, no time limit for the rounds, and no switching Pokemon during a match. We flip a coin to decide who summons their Pokemon first each round. Best two out of three wins. And as usual, if you lose to me you have to wait a week before you are allowed to challenge me again. These are the rules of the Desert Town Gym." Zayn felt his hands get a bit damp, he quickly wiped his hands on his jeans. He could feel how tense Pikachu was as well on his shoulder.

"Ah, so I can't have Pikachu just fight in the next round?"

"Nope, each Pokemon gets one fight and that's it...is that going to be a problem?" He swallowed before answering.

"Ah...no, no it's fine." She gave him a curious look, she must have noticed their shift in moods. That was something Zayn and Pikachu had always had in common. They were very bad at hiding their emotions.

"Do you not have three Pokemon?" Pikachu chuckled weakly, no real humor in his voice.

"Actually, we have-"

"Yes, we have three." Zayn said quickly, squeezing and releasing his hands. She nodded.

"Alright, I look forward to seeing what you got…" she smiled suddenly.

"Anyway, since I know what one of your Pokemon is before the match, I'll let you meet one of mine." She clapped her hands together twice.

"Ninetales darling!" They heard a soft call coming from the bathhouse. They turned and the beautiful fox Pokemon Ninetales came slowly walking into the room.

"She's beautiful." Zayn said, smiling as the Pokemon walked up to them and rubbed up against her owners side.

"Yes, she's been in my family for over 200 years." Zayn's eyes widened.

" _What?_ " She laughed.

"I believe this year marks her 212th year being a part of my family actually. You've a Pokedex correct? Scan her." He nodded and quickly pulled it out and held it up to the Ninetales. After a few seconds, the feminine yet robotic voice of the Pokedex began to speak.

_Ninetales (キュウコンKyukon). A fox-like, quadruped Pokémon covered in thick, luxurious golden-white fur and nine tails. They are intelligent enough to easily understand human speech. Ninetales is a very vengeful Pokemon that has been known to curse those who mistreat it. It can live for 1,000 years due to the energy within its nine tails, each of which is said to have a different mystical power. Flames spewed from its mouth can hypnotize an opponent and its gleaming red eyes are said to give it the ability to control minds._

"Oh my, I bloody wish I could live to be 1000." Pikachu said. Anna and the Ninetales both laughed at this.

"So then, we have gotten a bit carried away with conversation. I'm assuming you didn't come in just to see me?" Liam chuckled.

"Obviously visiting you was a big part of coming, but I was talking up your amazing bathhouse to Zayn here and knew I had to treat him after what happened." She smiled.

"Going out of your way to help others, yup that's definitely my little Liam." the man blushed at that and the Omega smiled softly at his embarrassment. She set up a couple inn rooms for them, along with reserving the human side of the bathhouse for just the two of them for about an hour.

"Ah, Anna you don't have to-" Liam began.

"No no, you two can enjoy it for an hour in peace on me. Think of it as a thank you for taking care of Team Rocket. If you didn't take them out, as the Gym Leader I would have had too...and I'm getting old dammit! Don't have the strength to do this shit anymore…" he sighed and nodded.

"Can't argue with that I suppose." Zayn was a bit glad he had darker skin, as it helped hide how bloody red his cheeks constantly were around the Alpha. He supposed it should have occurred to him sooner that he would soon be in a massive, steaming bathtub _naked_ with the Alpha. He supposes he did earlier, but had gotten so distracted he had forgotten to have a bout of anxiety over it.

"Uh, Zayn?" He blinked rapidly and looked up at his Pikachu, who was giving him a confused look.

"You ok?"

"Mmhmm." He mumbled. Thankfully, Liam and Anna hadn't noticed the silent freak-out he was having, too caught up in conversation as Liam paid for the rooms.

"Do we need to do the breathing exercises?" Pikachu asked. He quickly shook his head.

"I'm ok."

"Ok...you don't have to go to the bath with him if you don't want too."

"I know, it's fine, it'll be fine."

"Uh huh, why don't you let Lucario out he will love the bath." Zayn nodded and pulled out the Great Ball to let him out.

"My! Haven't seen a Lucario in a long time. I'll have to introduce you to my Sandslash later, I believe he is working in my garden right now." Anna smiled.

"Luca, this is Anna Styles, owner of this bathhouse and our next Gym Leader." Lucario bowed at her and she smiled and bowed back.

"Alright then doves, we will get the bathhouse ready and your rooms are already set up. Give us about half an hour. In the meantime, grab your things and follow Ninetales, she'll lead you to your rooms!" The pair lugged up their bags, Zayn managed to have everything he needed in one medium sized black suitcase and his trusty black and red colored backpack with over 10 different pockets and spaces to store things. Lucario and Pikachu also had messenger bags of their own they used to carry their own personal belongings. Though, the fuzzy rodent usually got his blue companion to carry his bag for him. He noticed Liam only carried a small tan satchel over his shoulder. The Omega figured it made sense, as his van was right outside after all.

Ninetales led them up to the second floor and stopped halfway down the red carpeted and wooden paneled hallway. The doors were a mahogany wood with gold handles and golden silhouetted pictures of Pokemon right above the peephole. Ninetales purred and came up to give Liam a quick lick on the cheek before patting the door with the gold Charizard on it. Zayn smiled at that as Liam laughed and petted her head.

"Was hoping you hadn't forgotten me, I got worried when you didn't greet me right away." Ninetales repeated its name before gently patting his cheek with one of her tails, making him laugh again.

Ninetales then turned on Zayn, it purred and patted his cheek with a tail before tapping the door across from Liam's, which had a Blastoise on it. Two more of the fox Pokemons tails slowly unraveled in front of them, revealing keycards. They took them, and the Pokemon let out a happy little purr before quickly jogging off back down the hallway, it's footsteps almost completely silent.

"Always more to do." The Alpha chuckled.

"She's gonna be a tough one isn't she?" The Omega asked. The man smirked.

"I don't know which of your Pokemon is the strongest, but uh...use them." Zayn giggled as he grabbed his keycard and let himself inside. The room had dark wooden panel floors and light wood paneled walls. It was a single queen bed with a crimson red comforter and white sheets. There was a small desk with a computer on it and a TV across from the bed sitting on a dresser. Zayns side had a nice view of the mountain and the pass. 

"Like the room?" He turned back to face the door, Liam stood in the entrance with a smile on his face.

“Pretty spacious, smells nice…” Zayn fell back onto the bed and sighed happily.

“Comfy.” the Alpha chuckled as he walked into the room and tapped the door immediately to his left.

“Got your own toilet and shower, should have two sinks and mirrors as well. You won’t have to wait for Pikachu to finish his hour morning grooming sessions!” The Omega giggled at that as Pikachu scoffed from the bed.

“I take offense to that, _sir._ ” The Omega snorted at that.

“Agreed, Liam he spends _two_ hours in front of the mirror every morning.” Pikachu red cheeks sparked at this as the Alpha, Omega, and Lucario all laughed.

“You know that is factually incorrect Zayn!” he giggled and reached over to pat his fuzzy head.

“You know I’m just kidding Pikachu.” he nodded and giggled himself as his trainer scratched that spot right behind his left ear that he really liked.

“Well you two, why don’t you go ahead and head to the bathhouse yeah? Sounds like it’s just us humans who have to wait.”

“Alright, we will require the key so we can get back in when you leave.” he nodded and handed Lucario the keycard.

“Please guys, don’t start any fights. Best behavior, we don’t want to piss off Mrs. Styles. She _can_ refuse to fight us, as is her right as a Gym Leader.” the two nodded seriously and he nodded back.

"Go to the bathhouse, then come right back here got it?” They nodded again and he nodded back.

“Alright...go ahead then, relax and enjoy the bath...need you guys in top form for tomorrow.” The two headed for the door as Liam stood to the side to let them pass.

“You two can just follow Blaze and Incineroar, they know the way.” He let his Blaziken and Incineroar out of their balls, then he pulled out a third ball and smiled at Zayn.

“You haven’t gotten to meet my third friend then. Zayn, I’d like to introduce you…” he tossed out his Poke Ball and a small, fluffy canine like dog stood before him.

"Growlithe! Growly, this is Zayn." The Omega laughed as the puppy Pokemon rushed forward and tried desperately to get him to pick him up. The Omega obliged and the Pokemon happily began licking his face.

"Growly! We've talked about this, not everyone appreciates being licked in the face…" he sighed. The Pokemon simply barked at that and jumped down. Zayn chuckled and pulled out his Pokedex, realizing he'd never actually scanned a Growlithe before

_Growlithe (Japanese: ガーディ Gardie) is a Fire-type Pokémon, it is also known as the Puppy Pokemon._

_Very friendly and faithful to people. It will try to repel enemies by barking and biting. It has a brave and trustworthy nature. It fearlessly stands up to bigger and stronger foes._

_Growlithe has a superb sense of smell. Once it smells anything, this Pokémon won't forget the scent, no matter what. It uses its advanced olfactory sense to determine the emotions of other living things. However, strong, unpleasant smells can disable its sense of smell for short periods of time. It can only be evolved by use of a Fire Stone._

"Wow, that's one hell of a nose." He commented. Liam chuckled.

"He's probably one of the best trackers I've ever seen, his nose is incredible." The Alpha went silent and turned to look at his other two Pokemon. Zayn noted he seemed to be having a conversation with them. Blaziken and Incineroar both nodded and he nodded back.

"Alright, have fun and _no fighting_. I won't be happy." His three Pokemon left and the Omegas Pokemon followed right behind them. Now, the two of them were alone. Zayn felt his heart race quicken when the man turned to look back at him. Their eyes met, for some reason the image of Liam casually strolling forward and pulling him in for a kiss dominated his mind. He blushed and slowly looked around the room, trying to find something to distract himself with.

"So, Zayn…" he turned slowly, the Alpha had gotten closer, just a couple feet away now.

"How're you feeling?" He blinked in surprise as the Alpha's eyes had turned to concerned.

"I'm doing alright, why?" He smiled softly.

"Just been a wild day is all, and ah…" he rubbed his shoulder.

"I couldn't help but notice, you seemed a bit freaked out earlier." Zayn blushed, feeling terribly embarrassed now. He had hoped the Alpha hadn't noticed…

"You know, when she asked you if you had three Pokemon?...you were counting Celebi right? That's why you were so hesitant?" Zayn felt some relief at that. Celebi had been the last thing on his mind when the Gym Leader spoke of her rules. He had already told himself, that as long as Celebi was in his party, he wasn't going to expose her to battle if he could help it. No... Zayn hadn't been thinking of Celebi at all…

He nodded slowly, swallowing spit before answering.

"....yeah, I don't want her to have to fight if I can help it." Liam nodded.

"That's fair, though to be honest... she'd probably kick some ass if she wanted too. Legendary Pokemon are in an entire league of their own. It would be difficult for a normal Pokemon to have any sort of chance against a Legendary." Zayn chuckled weakly.

"Yeah, you're not wrong…" he sighed.

"This means I need to catch a new Pokemon, _fast._ " Liam smiled warmly.

"I know the perfect place near here...we can head out after the bath. Tons of strong Pokemon you can try to catch." The Omega blushed at that and the Alpha gave him a curious look but a sweet smile.

"What?"

"You've...you've just been very kind to me is'all. I know you caused me some trouble but you're still helping me and stuff. I just…you don't have to, you've been forgiven yeah? It's fine Liam I'm not mad or anything…" the Alpha laughed a bit awkwardly.

"I, ah, I haven't been paying for stuff and helping you because I feel guilty. I just...want to, I like you." He felt so embarrassed now, this Alpha was so sweet to him and that was such a new experience for Zayn. Most Alphas he's interacted with in his life have been mean, rude, disrespectful pricks. He didn't trust an Alpha as far as he could throw one. But Liam...he was different.

"I'm sorry Zayn, don't mean to keep embarrassing you." The Alpha seemed genuinely sorry. The boy smiled softly at him and nodded.

"It's alright, I don't -" a sudden knock on the door interrupted him and they both turned to look at it. Liam walked forward and opened the door, the girl standing in the entrance had black curly hair that hung down her shoulders wildly. There were a few streaks of neon green in her hair and she had a cool gold nose ring in her right nostril, along with three small silver rings in her right eyebrow.

"Liam Payne! Who the hell told you you were allowed to go take care of those Team Rocket goons without me!?" Zayn felt a bit of panic well up as the woman seemed very angry. But suddenly, her anger cracked and she started to laugh as she pulled the also laughing Liam into a hug.

"Damn Liam, you've gotten fucking jacked! Last time I saw you, you were just a toothpick!"

"Started working out a lot with my Pokemon...wanted to be in better shape." He said with a shrug as they pulled away.

"Well, you fucking succeeded, now eat something bad for you. Take a break." He chuckled and shook his head. The girl turned away from the Alpha and found Zayn, who blushed as her eyes widened.

"Oh...Liam? Gonna introduce me to your boyfriend?" He looked away as Liam laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, he's not my boyfriend, just met today actually. Gemma Styles, Zayn Malik." Her eyes widened as Zayn gave her a quick wave of his hand.

"Wait, sorry, did you say Malik?"

"Yeah, it's Malik." The Omega replied. She gave him a curious look.

"You related to Doniya?"

"My sister." He replied. She laughed.

"Wow, Pokemon training must run in the family." He laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, not really. Just my sister, parents and myself." She nodded. 

"Still, hadn't heard Doniyas little brother was following in her footsteps!" She laughed. He laughed, hoping it wasn't too obvious how fake it was.

"More like me Mum's footsteps." She nodded, he didn't miss the awkward look on her face.

"Ah, yeah of course" He blushed, hating how awkward he just made things.

"Hey Gemma, you here to tell us our bath is ready then?" The Omega was so grateful for Liam, who thankfully changed the conversation away from his mother...

"Yes I was actually, but I'm also here to formally invite you two to dinner, hosted by the Desert Town Gym Leader of course."

"How can we refuse? We will gladly accept that invitation...unless Liam has any objections?" The Alpha shook his head.

"Course not."

"Perfect! Dinner will be at 9, a little later unfortunately but mum's a busy woman." 

"That's fine, was going to show Zayn that cave, ah…"

"Oh! Arid Cave? Lots of good fire and rock type Pokemon in there...and some ghost types as well, depending on what time of night you go." She chuckled. Zayn nodded thoughtfully.

"Huh, a ghost type Pokemon might make a good addition to my team."

"Well, they don't start showing their heads until about midnight...though I'd be careful. Most of them just play tricks on people who enter the cave, but some of them are really aggressive and people have gotten seriously hurt." Gemma said, a serious look on her face. He nodded.

"I'll be careful." She looked like she wanted to dissuade him from going, but she held her tongue and instead told the boys she'd lead the way once they had some clothes put together. The two quickly gathered their clothes and followed after her to the bathhouse.

Lucario

Celebi

Beedrill

Koffing

Ekans

Blaziken

Inciniroar

Nidoking

Ninetales

Growlithe


	2. Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Also on Computer the pictures are fine but I am a silly boy and forgot about phones, where the pictures are not super great lol. I'll find a way to fix them! Anyway, please enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Walls**

" _Ahhh, fuck._ " Liam moaned. His body had been feeling a bit sore lately. He worked out every morning with Blaze and Incineroar...but lately, aside from his workouts, he'd be stuck in the van driving. This hot bath was _exactly_ what he'd been needing. The bathhouse was just like he remembered it. Lanterns hanging along the very tall wooden walls, throwing soft orange light over the grey stone floor and the large, steaming square tub of water. He stared upwards, there was no ceiling here so he had a clear view of the sky. The sun was starting to set and there were no clouds so he could already see the stars and the moon. He saw what looked like a Farrow flying high up in the sky, he followed it with his eyes until it disappeared from view.

"How's the water?" Liam looked up immediately. Zayn had been taking a bit longer to change, so he had gone ahead of him to wait. It had been about five minutes and the wait was _completely_ worth it.

Zayn had walked out with just a white cotton towel wrapped around his slender waist. Liam knew the boy had some tattoos, but he hadn't truly appreciated how many he had until seeing the boy mostly nude. He easily had more than Liam, who had always thought his sleeves were quite a lot himself. The next thing he started to really notice, was the insanely attractive Omegas body was perfect because _of course it was._ Flawless skin, slim, a deceptively fit body that he hid in loose clothes for some reason Liam couldn't comprehend. He watched the boys cheeks redden and he looked away, he was adorable when he was embarrassed.

"It's good, come sit we can start that PokeLink update." Zayn nodded, but hesitated briefly before looking away as he gently undid his towel and let it drop. Liam's heartbeat increased rather dramatically, his hands tightened and flexed. He was grateful the steam hid his lower half because he couldn't control how achingly hard he was at the sight of the Omegas naked body. The boy slowly walked into the water and let out a loud sigh as he did. The bath was large, but not very deep. Standing fully in it, the water only came up to the beginnings of Zayn's thighs. Liam got a good view of the boys bum as he got in and _fucking hell_ he got legitimately worried he was gonna pop a knot right then and there. The boy thankfully sat down, and Liam was able to calm down a little as he could no longer see anything below the Omegas chest.

"Alright, I'll get it started." The Alpha said, grateful for something to distract him temporarily and hopefully help kill his 'excitement'. He reached behind him and dried his hands before grabbing their Pokedex. He connected them with a cord and soon enough, the Pokedex both let out little chirping sounds and the transfer began.

"Should only take about 10 minutes, after this you should be able to talk to all of your Pokemon just by thinking at them. And of course you can turn it off at any time"

"I can't thank you enough Liam, honestly."

"You are very welcome Zayn, I've only had the app for about 2 months but I don't know how I lived without it. I'm sure you'll make great use out of it." The Omega nodded and let out another long sigh as his eyes drifted closed and he relaxed into the water.

"Anything else I should know about it?"

"It only works if your Pokemon are within 30 ft of you and the connection gets a little wonky in caves for some reason. It's still a work in progress, we are basically using the Beta versions after all." The boy hummed and smiled softly as he relaxed farther into the water.

The Alpha watched the boy, the way his chest slowly rose and fell and how beautiful he looked when he slept. He was mesmerized by the Omegas sharp cheekbones, his short beard, his long eyelashes and his soft looking black hair. He continued to look Zayn over, and that was when he finally noticed the necklace. It was a simple silver chain, nothing fancy, but attached to it was what looked like a small ball covered in bandages. He frowned and moved down a little to get a better look. He noticed a bit of color poking out from under the bandages. Purple. His eyes narrowed, was that…? He reached forward without thinking and gently picked it up. He felt the indent and pressed, the ball suddenly expanded into a regular sized Poke Ball. His eyes widened as the bandages couldn't cover all of it and what was underneath became clear.

" _DON'T._ " Liam's hand was quickly smacked away, he saw the panic and anger on the boys face as he quickly moved a few feet away from the Alpha. The boy quickly shrank the ball back down and tightened his hand over it, squeezing so hard his knuckles turned white. 

"Z-Zayn, I'm so sorry I didn't mean-"

"Don't just fucking touch someone's stuff without asking first Liam!" He snapped, still looking incredibly furious. Liam nodded quickly.

"Of course, you're completely right, I'm so sorry Zayn." The boy looked away, his hand shaking as he continued to grip the ball tightly. 

"So...can I ask -"

"No!" The boy snapped, making the Alpha raise his hands in surrender.

"Right, of course, sorry…" he frowned, even from this distance he could tell how tense the Omega was. He was staring down at the water, a distant and scared look on his face. They sat in silence for a minute before the boy finally let go of the ball. Liam was still so taken aback, staring as the boy carefully re-wrapped it.

He'd never actually seen one in real life before, so the fact that Zayn actually had a _Master Ball_ of all things... 

Master Balls are the strongest Poke Balls ever made. They have a 100% catch rate no matter what Pokemon it is (unless the Pokemon is already owned). Of course, the materials used to create the ball are incredibly rare and hard to come back. A single Master ball could cost someone at least a few million to purchase. Last Liam had heard, only 100 Master balls were made 20 something years ago and there haven't been any made since. 

"My mom." Zayn suddenly said, not looking at the Alpha as he continued to wrap up the ball.

"Your mum's in there?" Liam said, hoping to ease the tension a litte with his bad joke. The Omega didn't react to it really, he just shook his head.

"She gave it to me before she…left. She said it..." He gave him a curious look.

"Is it... occupied?"

"...when she gave it to me, it was empty." He said softly, finishing his work.

"And now?" He was silent at this.

"Zayn?" He knew he shouldn't ask, but he couldn't help it...what on Earth could he have caught that would require a Master ball? And why was he so scared of it?

"It's none of your business." He said stiffly, still refusing to look in his direction. 

"Course not, I apologize for asking."

"It's ok…" he looked shyly up, a deep frown on his face.

"I'm...sorry for how I just acted." Liam was already shaking his head before he had even finished speaking.

"You've nothing to apologize for Zee, I was the one in the wrong here…let's just get back to relaxing yeah?" The Omega nodded, his frown morphing into a small smile.

"Yeah, right…" he slowly scooted back over to the Alpha. Liam smiled warmly down at him, even though he couldn't help but feel worried. He has a third Pokemon...but he didn't plan on using it, even going so far as to capture another Pokemon for his match tomorrow _just_ so he didn't have to use it. What sort of dangerous Pokemon had the boy managed to capture? He didn't dwell on this too long however, as suddenly Zayn was shyly looking up at him with these sweet baby doe eyes that could make the Alpha do just about anything. 

"I...um...I really like your tattoos Liam. W-would it be ok if I...looked at them?" He smiled warmly down at the nervous Omega and nodded. He lifted his left arm out of the water and held it up for him to look over. The boy scooted a little closer and, after a moment of hesitation, he reached out to touch his arm. His hands were wet, small, and warm. He smiled as the Omega got lost exploring his arm, his delicate fingertips tracing over his litany of tattoos and a small smile breaking out on his face.

"These are really good."

"Thanks, good friend of mine in Fayz City named Jade did them. Don't think I'd trust anyone else she's incredible."

"I got most of mine done in Bradford." Zayn said, letting go of the man's arm. Liam smiled and moved so he was kneeling in front of Zayn and handed him his other arm. The boy gladly grabbed it and explored the arm with that same, happy look on his face. He loved it, he loved how cute the Omega looked when he was studying something he clearly enjoyed. His hazel eyes drifted up and met the Alphas brown ones. This was the millionth time the Omega had caught him staring but he didn't really care, it was unavoidable with Zayn.

"What?" The boy asked, already seeming like he was getting embarrassed.

"I…" Ok Liam, do you tell him the truth? Do you tell the boy you were staring because you think he's easily the most beautiful person you've ever met? Or do you lie, because you don't know how he will react to your words and you don't think you'd be able to handle it if he rejected you? It would hurt, much more than it reasonably should considering he just met him today.

"I...ah, I'm...…" the Alpha cursed himself (since when did he have issues talking!?) and coughed to give himself a brief half second to get his shit together. 

"Fuck it." Liam thought. There was a brief pause before the Omega answered with a very confused look on his face.

"W-what?" 

Did you just fucking say that out loud!?

"Ah...sorry, thought I was saying that in my head…" Zayn giggled at that and gave him a curious look.

"What's making you so nervous Alpha?" He smiled weakly, still feeling resolved to this despite the nerves.

"I just ah, I just want to-" he stopped as the Pokedex suddenly let out twin chimes.

"Must mean they're done, right Li-"

"Can I take you on a date or something? Anything? I really like you." Silence, Zayn's eyes were wide and his mouth shut tight. The boy looked down and bit his lip.

"S-sure. Ok." Liam's heart fluttered a little and he couldn't stop the small laugh or smile that broke out on his face.

"Really?" The boy nodded, looking like he was going to die from embarrassment. 

"Awesome! I ah, we can't really tonight but tomorrow night I would be honored if I could take you to dinner, just the two of us." The boy smiled softly.

"I'd like that Liam, it sounds lovely…" 

"Cool, awesome…" neither of them seemed to know what to say now. The Alpha's eyes drifted down to the Omega's chest and he smiled softly.

"Can I check out your tattoos Zayn?" The boy looked up, his eyes widened a little but he bit his lip and nodded slowly. He grinned and gently grabbed the boys hand. He had just started to slowly trace his hands up the boys arm, when Zayns Pokedex began to ring.

"I don't want to answer it." The boy said meekly. Liam laughed and nodded.

"I understand, but it could be important." They dried their hands and Zayn quickly answered the call. He stared at the screen as it buzzed to life, and he could soon see Pikachu and Lucario staring back at him.

"Yes?"

" _We're done_." Zayn nodded.

"Ok, and?" 

" _We are back in the room_." He stared exasperatedly at Pikachu.

"Ok, _and?_ "

" _We're bored_." He rolled his eyes.

"I've got half an hour left, just watch a movie or something. Hang out with Liam's Pokemon it's good to socialize."

" _Luca doesn't want to! He's still mad about getting his butt whooped by the cat-_ " Lucario picked Pikachu up and presumably threw him somewhere off screen.

" _Sorry to bother you Zayn, enjoy your bath_."

"Thanks." The Omega said, giggling as he heard Pikachu in the background start bitching about being tossed into a wall. He hung up and let out a loud sigh as Liam laughed next to him.

"Pikachu's a handful, Lucario seems to have a good head on his shoulders though."

"Mostly, your Incineroar seems to bother him though."

"Yeah, I noticed. Incineroar is a bit of a prick at times and way too full of himself, but I have to say I'm not really sure what he's done to offend Lucario so much."

"It's ok Liam...Lucario will open up to me eventually. I'm sure it's nothing serious, with him I kind of have to just wait for him to come to me with his problems. He's a bit of a wall otherwise." The man nodded, then smiled softly.

"So then, can I check out your tattoos now?" The Omega nodded back and, after a brief moment of hesitation, placed his hand in Liam's. The Alpha smiled and pulled it a little closer so he could look them all over. He had some difficulty concentrating however, because the boys hands were so soft and warm. He held the boys hand in his left while his right slowly traced up his arm as he looked him over. Zayn stayed silent the whole time, so Liam didn't speak either. The only sounds made were from the water and their breaths.

"You have cool tattoos, if we get a bit more time...I'd love to talk about each one, in length." Liam said. The Omega laughed softly at that.

"Ditto." Liam laughed as well, but nearly choked as the boy suddenly sat up, a hand covering his private bits. He sat on the cool stone floor lining the water, looking away from the Alpha with a look of pure nerves on his face.

"I have two more…" he slowly turned to look at Liam, whose found it impossible to hide how turned on he was. Eyes blown, hands balled into fists, breathing shaky, he felt like he was ready to burst. The Omega slowly reached forward and grabbed Liam's arm with his free hand. He slowly dragged down from the bicep, to his forearm, to his wrist. He lifted the arm out of the water and giggled softly as he saw his tensed fist. He rested the hand on his thigh, blushing at how big the man's hand was compared to it. He began massaging the fist, slowly getting the Alpha to relax and open up. His breathing hitched as suddenly the man's hand was open and slowly ran over his thigh. He found the first one, right there on his hip. He ran his thumb over it, the rest of his fingers gently digging into the skin. They held like that, neither speaking a word as his thumb gently rubbed back and forth over the skin.

"M-my last one…" Zayn grabbed the hand, the Alpha was having difficulty breathing as the boy dragged it slowly over and into his inner thigh.

"...here." he whispered, eyes blown and staring into the Alpha's eyes. The man squeezed, the boy whimpered at that and bit his lower lip. Liam didn't let go as he moved to sit up. Zayn felt his heart beat start to thump loudly in his ears, his breathing shaky as the insanely muscular and _very_ wet Alphas body was on full display now. 

Liam remained on his knees as he slowly turned so he was now in-between the Omegas legs, slowly turning his head down to see the tattoo on his inner thigh. He slowly turned his gaze upwards, the Omega looked like he was about to die of nerves and embarrassment.

"Zayn?"

"Y-yes Liam?"

"I don't see a tattoo love." Zayn looked shyly up into the man's eyes, he looked hungry.

"Y-yeah…"

"Can I kiss you Zayn?" The boy whimpered at that, he couldn't help it.

"I...I think you should, it sounds like a good idea." Liam slowly placed his hands on the boys hips and tugged him forward. Zayn felt his body shiver at that as his thighs brushed up against the sides of the man's toned stomach. He leaned forward, his face quickly getting closer and closer to his own. Zayn's eyes drifted closed and he felt his hands reach up to rest on the man's chest and neck.

_Knock knock knock_

The two froze, just inches away as the knock on the nearby door interrupted them.

" _Hey you two, just a warning you got about 10 minutes left. I'd start wrapping up if you haven't already!_ "

"Alright, thank you Gemma!" Liam yelled back.

 _"Welcome!"_ The Alpha sighed and slowly turned to look at the Omega.

"Maybe we should actually clean up, we only have 10-" he was cut short as the Omega dipped forward and kissed him hard on the lips. The Alpha grunted and squeezed the boys hips as he explored the Omegas mouth with his tongue. They stopped to breath and the Omega huffed.

"Takes me about a minute to wash myself, let's make out for the remaining 9 minutes yeah?" Liam grinned and quickly nodded.

"Ok, yes, fuck yes." He hummed in approval as the Omega rushed for his lips again, but he was very prepared this time and yanked the boy closer to him. He groaned as he felt the boys hardness pressed up against his abs. He grabbed the boys soft cheeks and lifted him up as he stood. He moved around until he was sitting comfortably in the water, the Omegas legs wrapped loosely around his waist and his arms wrapped around the older man's shoulders. The Alpha was not expecting the Omega to be so aggressive, it was a surprise...a wonderful surprise. Zayn reacted perfectly to all of Liam's touches; leaning into all of them, letting out these adorable little whimpers and hot as fuck moans as his hands explored the boys body. The Alpha wanted to do more, oh so much more, but he knew they only had minutes left and made the awful decision of ending things...for now.

"Zee, gotta actually clean ourselves we don't have much time left." The Omega sighed into the man's neck, who chuckled at that and nipped him playfully.

"I know...but we don't have to be done yeah?" Zayn nodded quickly.

"Y-yeah, of course, please let's not be done yet…" he chuckled again as he leaned forward and kissed the boy, who hummed softly and buried his face in the man's chest afterwards. Liam had to spend a few seconds working to get the boy off of him so they could wash up. It wasn't easy, but he finally got him to let go so they could quickly wash with soap. Liam got out first and quickly toweled himself dry before helping Zayn out and handing him a towel as he collected their soap and Pokedex's. He watched the boy dry, eyes fluttering at the sight of the Omega nude and dripping wet, the boy was so beautiful he could hardly stand it. His eyes drifted up and he felt a bit embarrassed because the Omega was staring at him, he'd been caught.

"Sorry." He mumbled. Zayn nodded slowly, still looking very embarrassed.

"It's ok…" he bit his lip as he wrapped his towel around his waist. He rushed forward and gave Liam a quick kiss on the cheek, which made the man grin like a fool. 

"Later tonight, your room…"

"Don't you want a first date first Zayn?" The boy laughed.

"I think our lunch earlier _was_ our first date Leeyum." Zayn kind of adored how expressive the Alphas face was when he was really happy. 

"Yeah, suppose it was."

"And I must say, best date I've ever been on." The Omega giggled, grabbing his Pokedex so he could free up the Alphas hand for him to grab.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." The Omega smiled, pulling him back to the changing room.

* * *

"Took you long enough." Pikachu grumbled. He just sighed and fell back against the door. He blushed as he remembered everything that just happened, it felt like a dream…

" _Hellooo! Earth to Zayn!?_ Is he ok Lucario? Read his emotions." Zayn huffed loudly and turned on him.

"Luca don't you dare...if you must know, I'm feeling…" he turned and gave Luca a look, one that said go ahead.

"Very infatuated." The blue Pokemon chuckled. Pikachu sighed.

"Our little Zayn had to grow up sometime I suppose. Well then, did you at least wear protection?" He went red in the ears and quickly tossed a nearby towel at the Pokemon, who easily dodged it.

"We did not do...anything like that! It was perfectly friendly, innocent...snogging."

" _Pfft,_ it was real porny I bet." 

"Pikachu!"

"Yeah yeah I'll shut up…"

"We are going Pokemon catching tonight." Zayn said, needing a change in topic desperately. Both Pokemon froze and turned on him excitedly.

"Finally? Are we going to get a new member of our trio? What kind of Pokemon are we going to be looking for?" Pikachu asked.

"Ghost types, there's a cave nearby that apparently crawls with them starting around midnight." Lucario nodded seriously.

"Ghosts can be dangerous, we must be cautious." Pikachu shuddered.

"Why a Ghost type Zayn?"

"Ghost types can be a bit rare, plus they have little in the way of weaknesses…" he sighed.

"I can't use Celebi. She just woke up and it would feel...wrong to try to make her fight my battles for me." The two Pokemon nodded in agreement.

"And...you know why I can't use the other guy." Lucario grimaced at that, Pikachu had another reaction however.

"Why not? You made that deal with him, this would technically fall under his part of the deal."

" _Pikachu._ You know I...I can't control him." He reached up and gripped his necklace tightly, as if he was afraid what he just said would cause his monster to appear in front of him now.

"I... suppose it would be a bit much. Alright then! Tonight we shall catch a ghost!" Pikachu declared happily.

"Do you know what Pokemon we will see Zayn?" Lucario asked. He nodded.

"Liam said when he last went, there were a lot of Gastly and Sableye. I think we are going to go for a Gastly. They become Haunter, which can become a Gengar. Gengar is a real strong Pokemon, it would be a good get for our team." The two nodded.

"Gastly it is then." He nodded and was about to say something else, when there was a knock on his door. Zayn tugged at his loose black T shirt and pulled up his grey shorts before answering the door. Liam was smiling down at him, he wore a loose black undershirt himself and his own pair of grey shorts, he also had a belt around his waist with multiple Poke Balls of different types hanging off of it.

"Oh look Luca, they're already coordinating their outfits. How adorable." Zayn tossed a middle finger behind him as he smiled sweetly at Liam.

"Hi." He said softly. The Alpha smiled warmly down at Zayn, his brown eyes a little blown as he stared into his eyes. 

"Hey." Silence for a few seconds, the two spending all of this time just staring at each other, until Pikachu cleared his throat loudly and spoke.

"So Liam, did you come over for something or were you just here to stare at Zayn for an uncomfortable amount of time?" 

"That, and something else." He responded, smirking as the Omega blushed at his words. His smile turned into a frown suddenly.

"There's been an incident over at Arid Cave." Zayn frowned.

"Incident?"

"A couple of teenagers went inside and haven't come back out. It's been a few hours since they went missing."

"Jeez that's not good, law enforcement looking into it?" He chuckled.

"Yes, but this is where it gets interesting. It was the missing kids friend who reported they were missing. He went to law enforcement, they went to check it out...and the entrance to the cave was completely frozen." Zayn blinked in surprise.

"What?" He chuckled.

"Crazy right? The entire entrance was blocked by a big ice wall, no one can get in. They had some fire type Pokemon trying to melt the ice but they aren't making much progress." 

"Wow, an ice type Pokemon then? Or at least a Pokemon who can use ice moves...but a bit strange to see one in the desert innit?" Liam nodded.

"Very strange...strange enough that I _have_ to go check it out myself. Which is why I've come over...we planned on going tonight anyway, want to come with me?"

"Yes we would!" Pikachu yelled, hopping happily onto Zayn's shoulder. He gave the Pokemon a scratch behind the ear before nodding, wanting to play this a bit cooler than his yellow friend.

"Yeah, could be fun."

"Awesome, I'm leaving now then are you good to go?" He nodded.

"Good to go."

* * *

The Arid Cave was just a quick 10 minute drive from the city. It was a large hole in the side of a small mountain that was pretty hard to miss. When they arrived, they were greeted by several police vehicles and a small pickup truck. Zayn could see a few officers and the Gym Leader herself Anna standing a few feet away as her Ninetales and a few Growlithe used the move 'Flamethrower' to blast away at the ice with a steady stream of fire. They all stopped and Zayn was surprised to see the giant wall of ice blocking the cave entrance was still standing.

"Dammit, that's not normal ice…" Anna turned to look at the pair as they walked up and she smiled.

"Ah! Liam! Did Gemma tell you what was going on?" He nodded.

"She mentioned it…" he smiled at one of the police officers and held out his hand. She was a beautiful woman with long cerulean colored hair that she kept in a tight ponytail on her head. 

"Hey Officer Jenny!"

"Liam! It's good to see you again!" She ignored the hand and instead opted to give him a quick hug.

"You look good kiddo, how's your Combusken? Or should I say Blaziken?" He grinned and tossed a Poke Ball in the air, Blaziken was soon standing just a few feet away. Blaziken seemed very happy at the sight of her and the two hugged as she laughed.

"So then, what's the situation?" Liam asked. Anna frowned at him.

"Well, we can't get through this damn wall! It's melting but very slowly, whatever Pokemon made this wall is quite powerful. Certainly more powerful than any Pokemon that _should_ be inhabiting the cave."

"It's also very strange because there shouldn't be _any_ ice type Pokemon in this region. We haven't heard a single cry or gotten a single sighting of it. So what Pokemon did this...your guess is as good as mine." Officer Jenny added. He nodded, staring up at the wall for a few seconds before nodding again.

"Alright, I'll take care of this." He lightly tapped Blaziken's shoulder.

"You got this? Or do I need to call in the big guy?" Blaziken looked up at the cave entrance in silence for a few moments before seeming to respond.

"Got it." He pulled out a Great Ball and tossed it into the air. It burst open, and Zayn was surprised to see a Pokemon Liam hadn't mentioned before. Zayn quickly pulled out his Pokedex to scan it.

_Aggron (ボスゴドラBossgodora) also called the Iron Armor Pokemon due to the plates of armor it wears on its body. Aggron claims an entire mountain as its own territory. It mercilessly beats up anything that violates its environment._ _Aggron is protective of its environment, it_ _vigilantly patrols its territory at all times. If its mountain is ravaged by a landslide or a fire, this Pokémon will haul topsoil to the area, plant trees, and beautifully restore its own territory. It burrows through the strongest of bedrock and digs tunnels, as it searches for iron to eat. Its horns, which it uses to dig through bedrock when seeking food, grow a little longer at a time and can be used to determine its age._

"Alright Aggron, need you to break through that ice...you know what to do." The Pokemon nodded and let out a terrifying roar as it slowly stomped forward.

"I'd stand back." Liam said suddenly. Everyone moved back, Zayn blushed as the Alpha smiled warmly down at him and pressed a hand to his lower back to lead him away. He didn't fight the man and when the Alpha removed his hand, he found the man was still standing very close to him and didn't seem inclined to move away.

" _You know there is plenty of space, you don't have to stand so close to him."_ Zayn nearly jumped, having forgotten that he and his Pokemon could now talk in their heads now.

" _I'm well aware_." He thought, giving Pikachu a look.

" _I'm sure you are._ " He said, giving him this smug look that really made him mad. 

" _Lucario, throw Pikachu please._ " He said calmly. Lucario chuckled out loud but didn't do it. Aggron stopped his march forward, now about a mere ten feet from the ice. It let out another roar and energy began to gather in it's mouth. Zayn felt the energy thrum in the air, it made him weak in the knees. And somehow, it was like Liam seemed to sense this because suddenly he had an arm wrapped around his shoulder blades as if to steady him.

"Thank you." he said softly.

"Course." the man mumbled back, giving him a sweet smile. He gasped as the Pokemon released the energy in a super powerful beam of energy. It crashed into the ice, which was blown apart and disintegrated into flakes of ice that filled the air around them.

"Goodness, I've read about that Hyper Beam move but seeing it...I would hate to be on the receiving end of that." Pikachu quipped. Liam laughed at that.

"Ah, it's powerful but slow. You'd have to be a very slow Pika to get hit by it." The Pokemon scoffed.

"Indeed! Thank goodness no such Pika is present." The Alpha and Omega both chuckled at this, he felt butterflies fill his stomach again as the older man squeezed him a little closer before letting go of his shoulder. 

"Well, that's one way to do it." Anna chuckled. Liam nodded and told his Aggron good job before returning him.

"Alright, the caves open now. We need to go get those boys and get out. I don't know what made that wall but I've a strong feeling that we don't want to disturb it." Anna said. Officer Jenny tsked at that however.

"With all due respect, whatever Pokemon is in there could be terrorizing the local wildlife. We need to get rid of it."

"We won't know more until we get in there I suppose…" Anna turned to the two of them.

"Liam, it would be incredibly helpful if you could join us inside." He nodded back.

"Of course, it's no problem." Anna nodded, then turned to Zayn with a frown.

"My dear, I'm sorry but I have to ask that you stay out here." He blinked in surprise.

"What? Why?"

"Anna, he and his Pokemon can handle themselves." Liam said with a frown. She nodded.

"Oh I have no doubt, it's not what you think. We don't know what's in there and it could easily get the jump on us. The cave isn't massive, walking it should take us one hour to fully explore. If we haven't come out in one hour or made contact in some way, you'll know something bad has happened to us and that you need to get help. You're just a guest in our town Zayn, it would be improper of us to endanger you. Honestly, I wish I could have you leave now but we need you to do this for us. Can I trust you Zayn?" The boy understood her reasoning, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed.

"Yes, you can trust me." He said. She nodded seriously and shook his hand.

"I promise, if we make it out alright, you can challenge me as many times as you want until you win. I'll never say no." He laughed and nodded.

"I appreciate that, but one will be enough." She let out a single ha! and nodded at him.

"You Malik's I swear, all of you are spitfires." The group turned and began to make for the entrance.

"Sorry Zee." Liam said, frowning down at him. He shook his head.

"Ahh, don't be it's fine...just be careful please, you owe me a second date." He grinned.

"What better motivation to stay alive than a date with you?" He blushed at that and gently pushed him away and to the cave entrance. He chuckled and gave the Omegas hand a quick squeeze before turning. Soon enough, the group was out of sight and the only ones left were Zayn and his Pokemon.

* * *

"This is lame, we should be in the cave where the action is." Zayn sighed and looked over at Pikachu, who was sitting in the shade of the driver's seat in Liam's van. Lucario was sitting nearby, cross legged on the ground and meditating.

"You heard Anna, we have to wait an hour."

"It's been 50 minutes, I've been counting because I'm _bored._ " Zayn sighed, his Pikachu always got antsy when bored. He often wondered if it had anything to do with his mousy genealogy or if it was just his specific personality. 

"It's fine, Liam's in there with them I'm sure they'll be out soon." 

"My word! It's been a day and you're already kissing him, coordinating outfits, and now apparently putting him up on a pedestal. Perhaps you should do that human tradition and marry him?" Zayn blushed bright red and threw him a look.

"Pikachu, I won't deny that I like him but marriage is a _giant_ leap man. You can't say that stuff in front of him you'll freak him out." He shrugged.

"I don't understand human courting rituals at all. When Pikachu want to make an egg, we touch tails and spark each other to see if we are compatible…would touching your butts together work in a similar manner? I suppose the electricity is needed though…"

"Please stop." Zayn groaned. He huffed and pulled out his Pokedex. He noted that he had a missed call from his father...again. He ignored it for now and checked the status of his Pokemon. He stared quietly at the status bar for his monster. He was awake, calm. He stared at it a moment longer before backing out and returning to the menu. He noticed he had an alert that a new Pokemon was registered. He blinked in surprise as he realized he had completely forgotten to check the info it had on Celebi. He clicked inside and was surprised to find it's entry was very bare. It would seem not much info was had about Celebi.

The Pokedex noted that it was said to have incredible healing powers but that they took heavy tolls on the Pokemon. It was said to be able to create life in any environment, the most famous story of this was the story of a Celebi that created an oasis paradise in the middle of a desert to try to save a friend dying of thirst. Other than that and it's basic physical info, there was no more information.

"You are a mystery Celebi." He chuckled out loud. He sighed and stared at the time, it had now been an hour and there was no sign of them.

"Ok guys, I think we have to go get help." He said.

"Better than doing nothing I suppose." Pikachu quipped. Lucario suddenly shot to his feet, his eyes shut tight as his head glowed and his hackles raised.

"Luca?" Zayn said in worry. The glow stopped and his eyes opened.

"Somethings coming, it's not the people who went inside." He tsked and stared at the cave entrance. Despite the sun, the inside was completely black, impossible to see inside.

"Pikachu, get ready." Luca said, taking a fighting stance.

"Oh I'm ready!" He grinned excitedly, jumping on top of a nearby police car and sparking with excitement and electricity.

"Guys, be careful. Anything that can make that much ice isn't something to take lightly." They both nodded and continued to stare at the cave. Zayns eyes widen as a chill suddenly washed over his body. Icey cold air began to pour out of the cave entrance, turning the hot desert heat into an arctic wasteland in seconds.

"That's not a good sign." Pikachu laughed shakily. Zayn already had his Pokedex out and pointed at the entrance. The second he saw their foe he would scan it so he could figure out what they were up against. He desperately hoped however, that it wasn't another legendary situation where there was little to no information about it. The wind grew stronger and suddenly, snow began to rush out of the cave. The three all yelled and Zayn quickly dove behind the car to hide.

" _It's using Blizzard Zayn, don't move from behind the car._ " He heard Lucario in his head and nodded up at the Pokemon.

" _Don't attack until we know what it is and until we see it!"_

 _"Yes sir!_ " They both said in unison. He poked an eye out and could just make out a figure in the center of the blizzard. It's body just a silhouette as the storm raged. Zayn reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of goggles to protect his eyes. He yanked them on before poking an eye out, and was shocked by what he saw.

The Pokemon wasn't as giant as it's power might suggest, in fact it seemed to be about the size of Lucario. It was white and had a red sash around it that reminded Zayn of an obi on a kimono . He held up the Pokedex, which blipped at him and began to fill their heads with information.

_Froslass (Japanese: ユキメノコ Yukimenoko) is a dual-type Ice/Ghost Pokémon. Froslass is a humanoid Pokémon with a hollow torso that resembles a kimono. It wears a red band around its waist, reminiscent of an Obi. Its body lacks feet, it floats in the air and its arms are connected to the sides of its head._

_Froslass lives in snowy areas and has the ability to freeze foes with its -58 degrees Fahrenheit breath. Froslass is a female only species._

_A legend says the soul of a woman lost on a snowy mountain possessed an icicle, becoming this Pokémon. The food it most relishes is the souls of men. It freezes hikers who have come to climb snowy mountains and carries them back to its home. It only goes after men it thinks are handsome._

" _IT ONLY GOES AFTER MEN!? BUT...BUT WE'RE MEN!! AND HANDSOME!!!"_ Pikachu shrieked in Zayn's head.

" _Calm down, we can handle this we just have to be smart…_ " he looked back up, the Froslass let out a terrific shriek and to Zayns surprise, it began using the move Ice Beam to slowly recover the cave entrance in ice.

" _Zayn! We have to do something_!" Pikachu said. The blizzard still bellowed around them and Zayn bit his lip. Now really was the perfect time to attack, the Pokemon wasn't paying attention to them…

And yet his hands were shaking and it wasn't because of the cold. He felt panic, anxiety because this Pokemon was clearly powerful and...and...what if his Pokemon couldn't do it and he had to use _him?_ What would happen? Would he destroy the mountain? Cave it in and just leave it? Kill someone or-

" _Zayn!_ " His head shot up, both his Pokemon stood in front of him now with unimpressed looks.

"I'm proper disappointed in you." Pikachu quipped. He blinked in surprise.

"What-"

"Zayn, please believe in us." Lucario said. He stared at his blue companion.

"I...I do guys, but what if-"

"No buts here Zayn! It doesn't matter who or what we're fighting, as long as the three of us believe in each other and work together, we can win! If you don't pull your weight, how will our flawless team continue to work? Now, quit moping and give us our orders _sir!_ " Pikachu straightened and gave Zayn a salute. He smiled softly and giggled, his mind feeling more at ease.

"Thanks guys...thank you, I needed that." He held up a fist and the two Pokemon quickly tapped their own hands to it. He peaked back over the car, the ghost Pokemon was about a third of the way done. Where the hell was the group that went inside? Where was Liam?

"Ok guys, if we can beat Froslass then great...but the bare minimum we have to pull off is distraction. We need to stop her from finishing the cave and buy the group inside time to get here."

"What if they are all frozen statues?" Lucario asked. He shook his head.

"It's a risk we are going to take... I don't believe the gym leader or especially Liam would go down easy. They're alive."

"Ok then, how about I use Double Team while Luca stays back and throws Aura Spheres at her?"

"Smart. We will keep the attention on you while Lucario whittles her down…alright guys, let's do this." He placed a hand on both of their heads and gave soft squeezes before letting them go. The three turned and they took their positions. Pikachu lept out onto the field.

"HEY YOU! MAN LOVER!" The Pokemon stopped it's beam and slowly turned. It's dull eyes suddenly widened and brightened at the sight of the yellow mouse.

"Why are you attacking everyone? That's really lame of you!" The Pokemon cried out and suddenly rocketed forward. Pikachu yelped and began using the move Double Team. Froslass froze as it was like multiple Pikachu's were running around her in a perfect circle. Lucario charged up an Aura Sphere on top of a nearby cop car as the Ghost type was distracted. He fired, a clean shot and the ball exploded as it crashed into her. Zayn huffed, it was a powerful move Aura Sphere but the cloud of smoke it left after was very inconvenient... especially when you are unsure if the attack actually did anything. The cloud suddenly parted as a ragged beam of icey energy came ripping through the air. Lucario jumped out of the way just in time to miss the ice beam. Zayn flinched away as the top of the car Lucario had been on was suddenly covered in ice. The Froslass continued it's attack and chased after Lucario, creating a line of ice along the ground. 

“LEAVE HIM ALONE LADY!” Pikachu screeched. The yellow mouse rushed forward and slammed his head into her side...or at least, he tried too.

“ _Pikachu calm down, Normal and Fighting types won’t work on her she is a ghost type!_ ” Zayn said as the Pokemon flew through the ghost Pokemon. Froslass roared and raised it hands above its head. A dark ball of shadowy energy began to form above her. Lucario tsked and began charging up another powerful Aura Sphere. Pikachu landed finally from his missed attack and quickly turned and began to spark with electricity.

“ _Pikachu, use Thunderbolt. Luca, as soon as he lets out his attack, I want you to give her everything you’ve got understand?”_ Lucario nodded and his stance tightened. Zayn watched the ball of Aura slowly getting bigger and bigger. Froslass roared as it unleashed Shadow ball at Pikachu.

“PIKA-CHUUUUUUU!!!!” He screamed as lightning exploded from his body.

“NOW!” Zayn screamed. Lucario thrust the massive Aura Sphere (almost bigger than his body!) forward and it sailed through the air. The Thunderbolt crashed into the Shadow ball, but the Shadow ball seemed to be much stronger and continued on towards Pikachu undeterred.The yellow mouse yelped and leaped out of the way just in time as it slammed into the ground and exploded. 

As this happened, Froslass turned but wasn't fast enough to dodge the mass of energy that collided into her and exploded with a near- deafening boom. Both his Pokemon retreated back as Zayn prepared a Great Ball. The ball hummed to life and expanded, ready to be thrown. The smoke slowly cleared to reveal the Pokemon, face down on the ground.

"Now!" Pikachu yelled. Zayn ran forward, arm raised as he prepared to throw the ball. Right as he was about to throw it, the Poke Ball on his belt suddenly burst open and Celebi flew in front of his face.

"Celebi! Cele-Celebi!" The Pokemon chattered. He stopped in shock, what the hell?

"What? Guys what's she saying?" He turned, Pikachu looked totally confused.

"She's saying 'please don't hurt my friend'... apparently they know each other?" Celebi flew over to the downed Froslass and began patting and worrying over the Pokemon.

"Oh...well, tell Celebi we are really sorry about that…" Zayn was unsure what to do now, he hadn't expected this at all. The three friends approached the pair of Pokemon. Zayn's eyes lit up as Celebi began to sing. It's voice was soft, mesmerizing. It's body began to glow a soft neon green color. The energy flowed over the Froslass, quickly relieving her of any injuries. Celebi stopped singing, the energy disappeared and she gently patted the Pokemon's head. Froslass's eyes fluttered open and it shot up off the ground. It let out a growl and energy began to gather in it's mouth. Zayn flinched back as his Pokemon jumped in front of him, ready to defend.

"Celebi!" Celebi suddenly shrieked, flying directly in front of Froslass and crossing her arms. Froslass stopped her attack and gave her friend a confused look. The two began to discuss the situation and Zayn turned down to look at Pikachu.

"Celebi is explaining to her what's been going on and who we are. Froslass is arguing that she is too trusting of new people…" the three of them froze as the ghost type turned it's eyes on them. It flew directly in front of Zayn and began speaking at him.

"She says you should release Celebi right now. She isn't your property and you don't deserve her." Pikachu said, frowning. Zayn frowned at this as well, he nodded as he picked up Celebi's ball.

"Celebi was always a temporary catch, I promised her as soon as she was safe I'd let her go...if she wants to be let go then ok, I'll release her right now." The Pokemon seemed surprised at this. Celebi suddenly fluttered over to Zayns side and patted his shoulder.

"She says she hasn't known you long, but she trusts you and she believes staying with you is the safest place to be right now, especially because of Team Rocket." The Froslass was silent for a few seconds before responding to that.

"She says she doesn't like it...but she doesn't sense malice from you. She wants to know your name."

"I'm Zayn Malik, and these two are-" Froslass's eyes widened in anger. It began angrily chattering at him and he felt confused again.

"Oh...she…" Pikachu was shocked silent. Lucario sighed.

"She is saying she met a Malik woman a long time ago...her name was Tricia. She…says the woman was very evil and that she..." Zayn got a serious look on his face. He fell onto his knees and bowed in front of the Pokemon.

"Zayn!" Pikachu said, shocked.

"I don't know what she did, but on behalf of the rest of my family... I'm sorry." The ghost type was quiet for a few seconds before seeming to respond.

"She says she believes you and that she won't judge you for your mother's crimes." Lucario said. He looked up at her and nodded.

"Thank you." Their eyes met, they stared for a few seconds before the Pokemon huffed and said something.

"Oh! Um...she wants you to capture her Zayn." His mouth dropped.

"R-really?" She spoke more and Pikachu continued to translate.

"She says it's just temporary. She says she is staying by Celebi's side until she is safe again. So you can either capture her as well, or she's not going to stop following us around." he nodded.

"Ok, can't really say no to that…" he stood up and held out his hand to the Pokemon.

"I promise, as soon as Celebi is safe, I'll let you both go...and thank you for trusting me." The Pokemon held out its tiny hand and they shook. He held up the ball and nodded.

"Just don't fight it." He tapped the ball to her head and it burst open and sucked Froslass in. It fell into his hand, shook three times, then let out a soft 'clunk' noise. The Pokedex chimed at him and he nodded. He then tossed the ball in the air and let her out. 

"Hey Froslass, we should be able to talk -"

" _Ok!_ First up, we are setting down some ground rules." He nodded slowly.

"Ah...alright."

"First, as your Pokemon I will fight for you...if I agree with the fight, I won't fight pointless battles. Second, protecting Celebi is my number one priority no matter what. Third, if I decide during this journey that you are unfit to care for Celebi, then I hold the right to release us from this situation immediately. Are we clear?" He blinked, the Froslass sounded young, a lot younger than he had expected. A bit higher pitched, like a teenage girl.

"Ah...right."

" _Are we clear?!_ " He nodded.

"Yes." She nodded back. 

"Good…and call me Frost." He nodded.

"Alright...welcome to the team Frost." She nodded back and he smiled.

"We have a lot to talk about, like how you know Celebi and why you were attacking people...but first, could you tell me what's happened to the people who went inside?" She hummed.

"Oh, yeah...I wasn't going to fight them, I have a very good sense for power and I knew the _very_ attractive man and his handsome Blaziken were too strong for me to take on, so I slipped past them and made my way out...here…" Frost's eyes narrowed and she stared at Zayn's chest.

"Speaking of power...what is that around your neck?" He froze and clenched a hand around his necklace.

"Family secret." Lucario said in a very serious tone. The Froslass looked a bit frazzled.

"Yeah...I'd keep that _thing_ wrapped up tight." He nodded.

"We'll talk later...for now, remove that ice from the entrance please...and then let's have you sit in your ball for a while, let them think you escaped." She chuckled.

"Why the secrecy?"

"Well, your my Pokemon now...they might make me pay for the damages you caused or something." She giggled and nodded.

"Alright then…" she turned finally to look at Lucario.

"Your Aura Spheres are very impressive."

"Thank you." He said. She then turned on Pikachu and frowned.

"Your lightening could use some work."

"Oh bite me." He said with a roll of his eyes and a crossing of his arms. She giggled to herself as she turned to Celebi.

"We have a lot to catch up on, I was completely distraught when I couldn't find you. " Celebi hummed and gave her a hug. She then yawned rather loudly and fluttered over to Zayn and tapped her Poke Ball. He smiled and quickly returned her. Froslass turned to begin removing her own ice from the cave entrance, when she suddenly froze.

"Ah, I see they got through the wall I left behind me." He turned, he could just make out shapes exiting the cave.

"If you want secrecy boy, I'd return me now." He frowned.

"Alright...also it's Zayn by the way, not boy." She hummed.

"As you wish." He returned her to the ball, Pikachu huffed.

"I don't like her." 

"Ah, well she's our companion until it's time to let Celebi go Pikachu, so try to be friendly alright?" He sighed but nodded up at him. The three watched Blaziken make short work of the wall that had begun to be raised over the cave entrance. Zayn blushed as he saw Liam, who had found the Omegas eyes immediately and had given him a warm smile. Zayn had to look away and that's when he noticed two young boys, who couldn't have been older than 12, walking with the group with large blankets thrown over them. The party approached them and Anna was frowning at him.

"Are you all alright? What on Earth happened out here?" Zayn took a deep breath before letting out a modified version of the truth.

"An hour passed, we were getting ready to leave when a Blizzard move was used and a Pokemon came out. We couldn't see it through the Blizzard, but I guess it could see us and used Ice Beam. We hid behind the cars, but that's when we noticed it start to cover the cave entrance again. I know you said to run...but I couldn't let that Pokemon freeze you all in there. Luca here managed to hit her with a good Aura Sphere and I guess we spooked it enough because it flew off after that and disappeared." She whistled at that, Zayn noted that Liam was giving him an odd look but he didn't say anything.

"Damn, I was very curious to see what that Pokemon was and why an Ice type of all things was in the desert...but thank you Mr. Malik, you did well." He smiled and nodded.

"Thank you ma'am." She nodded back and turned to Officer Jenny.

"Sounds like the problems taken care of." She sighed as she stared at the cop car that has been hit by Ice Beam.

"I suppose so...ah well, at least the kids are alright. Thank you Mr. Payne and Mr. Malik, you've both done the Desert Town Police Force a huge service today."

"Anytime." The two said in unison. Zayn blushed a little as Liam chuckled next to him.

The groups all got in their vehicles and started to pull out and head back to Desert Town.

"So, Liam, how was the cave?" He smiled.

"Fine, seems she didn't want to fight us. Got delayed a bit, she left another wall of ice in our way."

"Ah, well at least there wasn't a fight." He said with a smile. The Alpha chuckled.

"Her." Zayn raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Luca hit _her_ with a good Aura Sphere...and when I just said she you didn't even react... _and_ I can't help but notice you have a new ball clipped to your belt." Zayn blushed and looked away, he couldn't believe he didn't catch that.

"Don't worry, I won't say a thing...though you know I think Jenny would have just been glad this new Pokemon of yours was out of her hair, I doubt she'd make you pay for anything if that's what you were worried about." He looked over at the Alpha, feeling embarrassed.

"I...was worried about that." The Alpha chuckled.

"If she did, I'd cover it anyway so it's fine." He stared at the man.

"You'd…" he nodded.

"Course, I was the reason you were there in the first place, it's my responsibility." He blushed and found his hand moving without his meaning to. He reached out and grabbed the man's hand and squeezed. Liam didn't take his eyes off the road, but they did light up and a smile slowly spread across his face.

"Thank you Leeyum." He mumbled. The man slowly turned to look him in the eye and squeezed the hand he was holding.

"Of course, Zayn."

"I want to gag, it's like they forgot we're still here." Pikachu groaned from the back seat.

Aggron

Froslass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I'm writing chapter 3 now but I won't promise any release dates. For those of you who are reading, thank you!!!


	3. The Red R

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, hope you all enjoy! And thanks to all of you who have liked and bookmarked and such, its nice to know you all are at least moderately enjoying so far! lol.

**Chapter 3: The Red R**

"It's a bad idea." The yellow mouse said.

"I don't see why it would be, they're two humans who like each other and they both consent to mating. I thought that's all humans required?" Luca said, seeming confused.

" _Stop_." Zayn groaned from the bed. He put down his Pokedex and scowled at them.

"I am an adult. If I want to spend some time alone with Liam then I will, so please quit talking about it!"

"I'm simply concerned for your well being...your mental well being." Pikachu frowned. Zayn frowned back.

"I'll be fine."

"If you have a panic attack we won't be able to help-"

"I'll be _fine_." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Ok...if you say so. But if he's mean to you then you let me know and I'll electrocute him got it?"

"And I'll punch him in the places you want me to punch." Lucario added. He smiled softly at his protective Pokemon.

"Thanks guys...but I don't think it'll be necessary with this one."

"Neither do I" Lucario said. Zayn grinned at him before turning to his Pikachu.

"See? Even Luca agrees." He shrugged.

"Fine, do as you will. We are here if you need us though." At that, a knock on the door. Zayn shot up and tugged at his blue button up and tight skinny jeans (his one and only pair that didn't have some kind of hole in it) before opening the door. His heart fluttered at the sight of the handsome Alpha, wearing a tight navy blue Polo and a pair of dark jeans.

"You look really good." Liam said immediately, making Zayn blush and look away.

“Thank you Liam…you look handsome." He smiled down at the Omega.

"Thank you."

"Oh Liam? Liam my good douchebag, I'd like to speak with you privately if I could?" He sighed rather loudly as the Alpha chuckled.

" _Pikachu,_ I told you that calling someone a douchebag is meant as an _insult_ not a compliment." The mouse just laughed at that.

"Ah, whoops! Of course, my mistake...anyway, dear Liam...?"

"Of course Pikachu." Zayn gave him a tired look.

"We can just leave." The Alpha smiled as he walked past him and squeezed his shoulder.

"It's fine, I'm sure he will be perfectly civil." He shook his head.

"I'll wait outside then…" he looked up at his Pokemon.

"Behave you two, I'll be back in a while. If Celebi wants out let her, but don't leave the room got it?" His Pokemon nodded at this and he nodded back before leaving the room and closing the door. He waited outside for only a minute before his door reopened and Liam was smiling down at him.

"Hope it wasn't too bad." he said, already sporting an apologetic look. 

"He just made it clear that if I upset you or harm you, he's going to 'shock me until I'm crispy'. Not the worst threat I've ever received honestly."the Omega laughed weakly at that.

"Sorry about him…"

"He's protective of you, they both are. You must be an excellent trainer to have such loyalty from your Pokemon." Zayn blushed.

"Oh, ah, don't know about excellent…"

"True, I suppose I haven't seen you in combat yet...but if you are as good on the field with your Pokemon as you are off the field...then yeah, excellent is the right word to use." He just looked away, feeling embarrassed as they walked down the sand covered stone road to Gym Leader Anna's house.

* * *

"Here was this sweet, kind, unassuming boy with only three Pokemon to his name. He seemed to be able to resolve all his problems with kindness and words and his Pokemon didn't do an ounce of fighting…" Anna took another drink from her wine before continuing.

" _Then_ , after spending 2 weeks here doing odd jobs and taking care of the locals problems, he comes to my gym and challenges me! It took me by surprise but of course I accepted and you know what? He completely wiped the floor with me, that Combusken of his was just too much to handle, along with his...ahh…"

"I also had an Aron and an Eevee at the time." Liam supplied. She laughed.

"Right! I've seen how the other two turned out, how is that Eevee doing?" He frowned.

"She ah, died about a year ago." Her eyes widened.

"Oh! I'm so sorry to hear that love, can I ask how it happened?" His frown deepened.

"I was investigating an old warehouse where I had heard Team Rocket was staying in over near Fayz City. I guess they knew I was coming...they blew the building up while I was inside. She was caught in one of the blasts and...nothing could have been done." He finished. Zayn reached under the table and squeezed his leg, feeling pain and much empathy for the man. He couldn't even imagine what he'd do if he lost one of his Pokemon like that.

"Those evil people will be brought to justice. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually karma will catch up to them and bring them down." He smiled softly at that.

"Thanks for that Anna." He looked down at the hand on his leg, grabbed it, and squeezed while giving Zayn a soft look.

"Not dating huh?" Gemma snorted next to her mother.

"At the time we weren't...now I think we are." Liam chuckled. Zayn blushed a little but said nothing, he wasn't exactly going to deny it…

"So Zayn, I haven't talked to your family in a while. How's your father doing?" Anna asked. He smiled.

"Dad's well, now that most of us are out of the house it's just him and Safaa."

"He's still working at the Bradford City Gym with your mother right?" Zayn frowned deeply.

"Oh, um, no. No my Mom… It's just my Dad now." She blinked in surprise.

"Oh! You'll have to forgive me Zayn, I don't keep track really of my fellow Gym leaders or the Elite Four or even the Champion! Between my own Gym, the town, and my business...it's a lot to keep up on, I simply don't have time for it."

"It's understandable." Zayn laughed awkwardly. The four of them had finished eating a while back and had retired to the living room. Ninetales laid by Anna's legs on the couch and Gemma's Bulbasaur sat comfortably in her lap sleeping.

"You're mother hasn't...died has she? I'm certain I would have heard..."

"Oh! No no, she's not dead ma'am. She's ah...she just kind of um, left is all..." Anna blinked in surprised.

"Goodness I really am behind on things, how long ago was this?"

"2 years ago..."

"Hey, Zayn I'm sorry about me mum. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Gemma gave her mom an annoyed look and the woman laughed awkwardly.

"Sorry Zayn darling, I don't mean to be rude...I used to be very good friends with your mum, got a bit curious is all."

"Your fine, I don't mind." he said, mostly just wishing the conversation would be done now.

"So, how's Harry doing?" Liam asked, taking a swig from his beer and being the guardian angel he was by changing the subject. He felt the Alpha's arm tighten around his shoulder, he wasn't sure when that got there but he wasn't upset about it. Gemma grinned.

"He's following after Louis, of course." He grinned.

"And how's he doing? Haven't talked to him in a while."

"Last we heard, he just got his third badge and they were heading to Cinder City to go for the fourth." He grinned.

"Good! Though he's probably going to be stuck there for a bit, Sophia isn't a weakling."

"Ah he'll be fine, Lou loves water types and she's got nothing but fire types." Liam smirked at this but didn't say anything. Zayn gave an awkward laugh.

"Sorry...Harry? Louis?" Gemma shook her head.

"Oh geez, sorry Zayn. Harry is my younger and only sibling. Louis Tomlinson is the Alpha he is dating. Louis came through here a few months back to challenge my Mom. He won, but he didn't leave right away...you can guess why. He stuck around for a bit, but he wanted to continue on collecting badges. He asked Harry to go, Harry said yes and they've been going ever since."

"Louis is a good friend of mine, we grew up together in Veramonte City. I got started on my badges a bit earlier than he did. When I heard he was starting his journey and he was heading here, I told him to check in with the Styles here...didn't expect him and Harry to hit it off but I'm not surprised." Liam said with a shrug. Zayn nodded.

"That's cool, why'd he start so late?" Liam frowned.

"His Mum got sick, he stayed to care for her…she passed away but someone needed to keep caring for his younger sister. But now that she is grown, he's free to pursue his dream of becoming the Champion." He said. The Omega frowned.

"Poor guy, but I'm glad he's getting to pursue his dream."

"He's a good boy, I hope you manage to catch up to him Zayn, I think you two would get along well. Harry too for that matter." Anna said. He nodded.

"I look forward to meeting them."

"Speaking of the Champion, who is the current Champion? Last I heard, Cynthia was dethroned but I don't keep track of any of that." Gemma shrugged.

"No one knows yet Mum, they give the new Champion the option of hiding their identity so that they don't get swarmed by people wherever they go. Whoever it is though, apparently Cynthia said that they are 'one of the greatest trainers she's ever fought'. Nothing but praise. But it's cool, it always comes out eventually who it is."

"Oh Cynthia, she was such a wonderful Champion. Easily my favorite." Anna said. The woman turned to look at Zayn and smiled.

"So Zayn, I couldn't help but notice that when we left the cave you had a new Poke Ball attached to your belt." He froze with his drink at his lips, not expecting the conversation to suddenly turn back to him. He laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, ah…"

"I'm sure Liam here already told you, but Officer Jenny is a wonderful woman. I'm sure if you told her you caught the culprit, she would have just been happy to have the Pokemon out of her hair." He laughed awkwardly again and held it up.

"Ah, yeah...I was worried she'd make me pay for the car."

"That's what Pokemon insurance is for honey." Anna giggled. She waved at the Pokeball with her hand.

"Well go on then, I want to know which Pokemon was giving me a headache." He chuckled at that.

"She prefers when people call her Frost by the way." He clicked the ball open, a flash of light, and Froslass was now floating in front of them.

"Oh my! A Froslass! Not at all what I was expecting…" she smiled sweetly at the Pokemon and waved.

"It's nice to meet you darling."

"Who is this woman?" Froslass asked, giving Zayn a look.

"Frost, this is Anna Styles, the Desert Town Gym leader and our next opponent." She looked the woman up and down before letting out a single 'ha!' and turning away.

"I'm not fighting her." He tensed and let out a shaky laugh, kind of glad no one else could understand her.

"Ah, Frost-" 

"I told you I won't fight battles I think are pointless."

"Ah-"

"Return me, I'm done with these people." She said, dramatically looking away from everyone.

"Right…" he returned her, then noticed the odd looks they were all giving him.

"She's...spirited, to put it mildly." Anna chuckled.

"I can tell she's going to be a handful for you, I suggest spending a bit of time with her before our match. If you'd like to postpone our match to another day so you and your new Pokemon have time to bond I completely understand darling, I'll be here whenever you're ready." He nodded and smiled weakly.

"Thank you, but I'd prefer if we did this tomorrow...I unfortunately can't afford to spend too much time here, I have to keep going."

"Why the rush darling? You know some trainers will take a whole month to train in preparation for the Gyms. One you have a badge they don't 'expire' or anything, there's no need to rush." His eyes darkened slightly before quickly shaking his head.

"I just...want to beat me mum's record. She managed to get her 8 badges in two months, it's still the quickest anyone has ever managed to get all 8. You're my second gym, I'm almost at the end of my first week. I have to be quicker than getting a gym a week." She just went wide eyed.

"My goodness, that's a daunting task you've set up for yourself...but I respect it and who am I to stand in your way? Tomorrow it is then." The rest of the night played out well enough. Conversation switched to funny stories of eccentric guests and Zayn was thankfully spared from having to talk about himself again. After a couple hours, Anna let out a massive yawn and sighed as she stood and gave a massive stretch.

"Alright, I'm afraid I can't keep my eyes open anymore. I think I'm going to have to call it quits for the night." 

"That's fine, I should probably be getting some sleep myself...I've got a Gym Leader to fight you see." Zayn chuckled. The woman laughed.

"Ah, you best be off then!" They all said their goodbyes and left. Liam smiled as Zayn sighed and quickly undid a few buttons of his shirt.

"I take it you don't like dressing nicely?" The Omega giggled.

"That obvious?"

"You seem in a hurry to take your clothes off is all." He chuckled. The boy blushed.

"Just a couple buttons...it's hot out you know." They walked slowly together back to the Inn, enjoying the night and the bright moon painting the canyon walls in a blue light, mixing with the orange light of the torches scattered through the town.

"S'not so bad, could be hotter…" Zayn hummed and slowly looked up to find the man staring down at him. He blushed as they slowly stopped walking, just the two of them out in the night. Zayn sucked in a deep breath and let it out, finding himself staring at the man's lips.

"Can I kiss you again?" Liam asked, almost sounding desperate. He blushed and nodded slowly. He nodded slowly back before moving forward and grabbing his hips to tug him flush against his body. The Omega rested his hands against the Alphas broad chest. Lips pressed together, Zayn felt like he was in heaven as the man slowly tightened his hold and slowly explored his mouth. They kissed for a long while before stopping to breath. Liam kept Zayn close to him though and gently massaged his hip.

"Can we...um...can we go to your room?" The Omega asked softly, biting his lip as nerves swept over him. The Alpha smiled widely at that.

"Yes, absolutely." The two hurried inside, Zayn gave an awkward wave to the girl working the front desk as they walked by. They soon found themselves in front of Liam's room. Liam opened the door and pulled Zayn inside. He thought the room looked basically like his did, but he had a hard time telling because the Alpha closed the door and then pressed Zayn up against it. He felt so self conscious as the Alpha just stared quietly down at him with this fascinated look on his face, like he was enjoying watching the Omega feel more and more embarrassed.

"W-what?" He asked softly. The Alpha smiled.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed is all." He flushed red as he coughed nervously and slowly kicked off his shoes.

"G-guess I should um...take my clothes off…" the Alpha smiled.

"If you want, I certainly won't stop you." He blushed.

"D-did you not want to, um, do...things?" He shrugged.

"I mean we can? I'm in no rush for any of that Zayn, you're worth waiting for if it means you'll be more comfortable. We just met today after all." He smiled softly and slowly leaned up to kiss the man.

"Thank you Liam."

"Of course, you're very welcome." Zayn slowly rubbed at the man's beard and thought quietly to himself. He finally smiled softly before slowly unbuttoning his shirt. The Alpha smiled widely at this but said nothing, just waited eagerly as the Omega took off his shirt.

"You're beautiful Zayn." The man hummed. He let his eyes travel over his body before returning to the nervous boys eyes.

"Can I touch you?"

"H-hey, you should take your shirt off too...it's only fair." The Alpha smiled and didn't say a word as he pulled the shirt off. The Omega blushed as he reached forward to touch the man. He ran a hand over his fuzzy chest and let out a very soft gasp as the man's hands touched and squeezed the sides of his bare stomach. Zayn whimpered as he was tugged close again, their bare skin sending electricity and goosebumps up each other's bodies. They kissed, much more aggressive this time. The Omega moaned as the bigger man began pulling him to the bed.

"Can I take your pants off Zayn?" The Alpha mumbled into the boys lips. He nodded again and Liam hummed in approval and slowly undid the boys pants. Zayn gasped softly and began to tremble. The Alpha froze his movements and frowned down at him.

"Zayn?"

"S-sorry…I'm k-kinda nervous…" his frown deepened.

"Yeah? Am I moving to fast or…?" 

"N-no just ...I'm a virgin." He said softly. The Alpha's eyes widened in shock.

"You...oh."

"I…I'm sorry…"

"No, no Zayn it's perfectly fine. That is nothing to apologize for…" he cupped the boys cheek.

"We can...stop, if you want. I understand if you don't want to lose something like that to a guy you barely know." Zayn smiled softly and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you Liam...but I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be." The Man smiled back.

"Yeah, suppose not…" he leaned down and kissed him again.

"I'll...go slow ok? Be gentle with you…"

"Thank you Liam." He mumbled. The Alpha smiled and kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome Zayn." He unzipped the boys skinny jeans and tugged them slowly down. He bit his lip at the sight of the younger man's noticeable hardness.

"I think we'll just do a bit of hands stuff yeah? No need to go all the way on our first night." Zayn raised an eyebrow.

"Hands stuff?" Liam smirked.

"You'll understand in a minute…" he leaned down and kissed the boy, who quickly moved forward to press himself against the Alpha. He grunted and grabbed the boys cheeks and squeezed. The Omega gasped softly and quickly unbuttoned the Alphas pants before tugging them down. They both moaned, only the thin fabric of their underwear in-between them and their erections.

The friction and passion of it all was becoming a bit too much for Zayn. Every movement sent a wave of pleasure through his dick and he could feel that hot coil inside him getting hotter and hotter. Liam slowly walked backwards, keeping the Omega close to his body. They finally reached the bed, but Liam stopped all movement and got a serious look on his face. Zayn gazed up at him, feeling hazy headed and ready to burst.

"I'm going to take your necklace off. I promise I won't try to take your Master Ball away ok? I'm going to put it in the drawer next to the bed." Zayn felt anxiety rush through him. He huffed and took a deep breath, it calmed him a little. He knew he could trust Liam, it had only been a day but he just... _knew_ he could trust the Alpha. He nodded slowly and the man undid the small clasp on the necklace. He took two steps over to the bedside table, opened the drawer, and gently placed it inside. Zayn watched him like a hawk through the entire thing and only relaxed when the attractive Alpha came to stand back in front of him.

"Ok?"

"Ok." The boy confirmed. Liam cupped the boys cheek and smiled. Zayn smiled softly back and leaned up to kiss him. He whimpered, then gasped as the Alpha wrapped his very large arms around him before pulling both of them back onto the bed. Zayn giggled into the man's chest and leaned up to gently scent the man's neck. Liam chuckled warmly and tightened his left arm around the boys hips while his right arm-

"Ah!" The Omega gasped softly as the man's hand grabbed one of his cheeks firmly and pushed his hips down, their cocks creating friction that threatened to make them both cum. 

" _Lee_ ." Zayn whimpered, feeling dangerously close to orgasm. He didn't exactly want to do _that_ in his underwear…

"Sorry, can't help myself...your so beautiful Zayn." He finished softly. The young man blushed again and bit his lip, the man stopped his movements but didn't move his arms or hands. He felt the Alphas hardness twitch against his own, it made him slowly thrust his hips forward without really meaning too. Liam suddenly flipped them without a word, making the Omega gasp at the man's casual show of his strength.

"I'm going to take the last of our clothes off ok? Dunno about you but mine ah...gotten a bit too tight." Zayn laughed softly, but stopped and blushed heavily as the Alpha sat up on his knees. His body was so beautiful and the massive bulge he sported in his tight white and red boxer briefs made Zayn feel faint. The Alpha grabbed the elastic of Zayn's underwear and pulled down. He moaned as he watched the Omegas cock twitch and dribble out a bit of pre. He pulled the garment the rest of the way off and then flopped down on his back next to the Omega to pull off his own underwear.

Zayn blushed, the Alpha was uncut and very thick. The man squeezed himself and the Omega swooned at the sight of precum dribbling out. 

"Zayn?" The young Omega slowly turned his head up to look at the softly smiling Alpha.

"Like it then? I like yours, a lot, if you care…" the Alpha blushed and Zayn giggled softly at the man's sudden nervousness. 

"Thank you Liam...I like yours too, a lot, if you care…" both of them laughed at that, feeling any nerves slowly drift away as they moved closer together. They stopped laughing and soon just stared at each other, getting lost in each other's eyes.

"Can I touch you?" Liam asked suddenly. Zayn hummed and gave him a sweet smile.

"Only if I get to touch you too…"

"Please, please do...been so hard for so long it's starting to hurt a bit." He admitted sheepishly. Zayn watched as the Alpha reached over to the bedside table and pulled the drawer open. He plucked out a small bottle of lube and dribbled some onto his cock before dripping some onto Zayns. He put it aside then looked at the Omega and gave him a smile.

"So, let's ah...touch each other then yeah?" Zayn laughed softly before biting his lip and reaching out. He wrapped his hand around the base of Liam's dick. It was very hard, yet soft and warm. He stroked up and over the foreskin, feeling the bump of his head as he ran his thumb over the slit. He licked his lips as he spread the cool lube over the man's shaft. His heart beat so loudly, but with his head against the man's chest he could feel his was beating just as quick, it made him feel more confident knowing the man was just as excited as he was.

He gasped and his eyes turned down to find a massive hand had completely encircled his cock. He moaned as the man slowly jerked him off in time with the Omegas own hand. The room was filled with their moans and groans, the pleasure rapidly getting more and more intense as they got closer and closer to the edge.

“M’gonna…” Zayn mumbled weakly.

“Same.” Liam groaned back. It was the Omega who came first. He let out a loud gasp and pleasure rocked through him as he splattered his stomach, chest, and even a little on his chin with cum. His tried to continue stroking the Alpha, but it was a struggle to move after such a powerful orgasm. He heard Liam chuckle against him and he gently moved the hand so he could grab it himself.

“S’alright love, I can finish.” He started masturbating himself very quickly, Zayn blushed as he watched and moved to curl up against the man. The Alpha turned his head to stare into Zayn’s eyes and the Omega blushed as the man’s jaw clenched and he let out a very soft grunt as he came. Zayn bit his lip as the man covered himself in line after line of hot sticky cum. The Alpha finally stopped his movements and sighed.

“That felt pretty great.” The Alpha said suddenly. Zayn giggled and kissed his cheek.

“Yeah, it really did.” The older man leaned down and claimed his lips again, making Zayn moan as the man grabbed his hips tightly. They lazily made out for a few seconds before Zayn sighed tiredly and laid his head on the pillow. Liam got up and found a towel to clean up with, after using it and tossing it away, he fell back down next to the Omega and pulled him in so he could spoon him from behind.

“I think I might like you Liam.” the Omega said suddenly. The Alpha laughed at that, his eyes crinkling closed and he leaned down to kiss the boys cheek.

“Think I might like you as well Zayn.” 

“So I guess…” the younger man stopped talking and the Alpha gave him a curious look.

“Zayn?”

“I-If we aren’t going the same way as you, then I guess we can still...call or something, if you wanted too…”

“Oh, babe...I ah, actually wanted to talk to you about that.” Zayn looked up at him curiously and the man was smiling, but seemed nervous.

“Because of the fact that you have Celebi, you’re going to be a target for Team Rocket...they already know about me, but thanks to those grunts they know about you now as well. They’re going to be after you.” Zayn felt fear and anxiety wash over him and he squeezed the Alphas hand tightly.

“ _Because of that…_ ”He said quickly, turning Zayn so they were facing each other on the pillow now.

“...I want you to travel with me. I can protect you, make sure you stay safe while you are on your Pokemon journey. I swear I won’t be overbearing and I will do my best not to get in your way, we’ll always do what you want yeah? I’m not going to take over your adventure, I guess is my point...” The boy blushed heavily and stared down at the man's chest.  
“I...”

“If you don’t want me around...then I get it yeah? I can just bugger off, we can go our sep-” he was interrupted by a deep kiss. He kissed back with vigor, his hand coming up to rest on the back of the Omega’s head. They finally pulled apart, Zayn was smiling.

“If it means no longer having to worry about bike rentals and sleeping at crappy inns...then yeah, I guess you can tag along.” The Alpha grinned at this and dipped in for another kiss. Zayn giggled as another snogging session began.

* * *

Zayn yawned as he closed the Alpha’s inn door behind him. Liam had wanted him to spend the night, but he didn’t want his Pokemon to wake up alone and worry about where he was. He did however, end up staying for another hour until the Alpha started snoring softly behind him fast asleep. He sighed and reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigarettes and a lighter. He knew it was late and that he should go to bed, but he was really craving a quick smoke after such a rollercoaster of a night. He made his way down the stairs and towards the reception desk. When he got their the place was empty, he assumed the front desk person must be using the bathroom or something. He walked out the front door and started down the stairs.

“Wow, didn’t think you’d make it so easy for us.” he froze with the cigarette in his mouth and the lighter raised. He turned, standing just a few feet away was a beautiful blonde woman wearing jeans and a T-shirt with a large red R on it. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her blue eyes glittered dangerously behind a pair of slick rimless glasses. She smiled softly, the bright red lipstick contrasting her pale white skin.

“We planned to beat on an inn employee till they gave us your room number, never thought you’d just walk out like that. Saves us the trouble I guess…” She pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Zayn, who shakily continued to light his cigarette.

“Mind if I borrow that lighter? Forgot mine in the van.” she never lost that soft, amused smile on her face. He nodded and tossed it to her, she caught it easily and lit a cigarette she pulled from behind her ear.

“Right then, Mr...Malik right?” He tensed and took a drag before answering.

“How…?”

“Shiva told us all about you.” He froze, his eyes widened.

“Shiva...as in…”

“The leader of Team Rocket, yes.”

“H-how…”

“Shiva does her research, my pathetic excuse for grunts were at least useful enough to have cameras embedded in their helmets. We already knew all about Payne...but you... you’ve caught Shiva’s eye. She ordered us to bring you in, unharmed.” She pulled a walkie talkie out of her back pocket and held it up to her mouth.

“Yeah, it’s me. The target made it easy for us and walked right into my lap, bring the van around.” He tensed, he couldn’t do anything because of the gun aimed at this chest and his lack of Poke-

He tensed, no...he had Froslass on him still, if he could just…

Panic swept through him, his hand slowly reached down to his belt and...the ball wasn’t there. Had he forgotten it? Left it in Liam's room? Oh shit…

A soft jingle in his ear as his necklace moved, his eyes darkened...no, no he couldn’t let it come to that…

He couldn’t let the monster out...could he?

“Alright kid…” A van pulled up right behind him, the woman moved forward and nudged him with the gun.

“Finish the fag and then get in the van.” He took one more shaky breath and let out a stream of smoke before dropping the cigarette and giving her a serious look.

“You really don’t want to do this...please just let me go.” She smiled softly.

“I don’t like capturing children, but orders are orders. C’mon, don’t fight, doesn’t have to be violent.” The van door opened and two burly men wearing black ski masks with large red R’s stitched into the foreheads came out to stand behind Zayn. He nodded, feeling increasingly anxious and scared, before slowly turning to get into the van. He was forced into the very back seat, as he turned to sit he took a quick second to pull the Master Ball from his necklace and held it tightly in his hand. He sat back and held his hands together to hide the ball and chain. The woman entered to sit in one of the two seats in front of him. There was already a driver and another man in the front seats. The two burly men got in, one sitting in the seat next to the blond woman and the other moving to sit next to Zayn.

“Drive Rico.” the blonde woman said. The van started to move. 

“Please, I don’t know why your boss wants me but I don’t know anything…”

“Doesn’t matter kiddo, Shiva said to bring you in so in you come. I’m not like those idiots you met earlier, you don’t put up a fight and no one has to get hurt ok?” she said. She looked up at the man next to Zayn.

“Max, search him.” His eyes widened as the larger Alpha man began to pat him down.

“Have to make sure you don’t have anything ferreted away, don’t want that talking Pikachu of yours to electrocute all of us to death.” she laughed. She eyed his hands, he tensed as the man reached into his pockets and pulled out his Pokedex and his wallet.

“This is all.” the man said. She smiled, it didn’t feel warm to Zayn.

"You can give them back to him." The man offered Zayn his wallet and Pokedex, he tensed for just a second before reaching out with his left hand to grab his stuff and put it back in his pocket. The woman chuckled.

“What are you hiding in your hand Malik?” he took a shaky breath and stared up at her fearfully.

“Don’t.” she raised an eyebrow.

“What's wrong darling?”

“You don’t want to do this.” she laughed.

“Oh my, now I have to know what you’re hiding away…” The Alpha man grabbed Zayn's arms and yanked them apart. He yelled and struggled against the man, who growled in anger as he tried to pull the Omega’s hand open. The blonde woman just sighed.

“For god’s sake Max just hit him! Just make sure you don’t kill him, Shiva made it very clear that he needs to be _alive_.” Max frowned.

"Didn't she say unharmed?" She rolled her eyes.

"A couple bruises won't matter, I'll make sure she knows it was on my order and that the kid didn't give us a choice. Ok? Now will you please-" she waved her hand and Max nodded before yanking Zayn towards him painfully by his left arm.

Pain, the Alpha slapped him _hard_ across the cheek and he let out a loud yelp as he fell against the seat. His vision flickered between hazy and clear, burning stinging pain in his cheek. His left hand was pulled open but the monster was in his right hand. He felt tears prickle his cheeks, the idiots, the damn fools…

He tried to protect them

“Fine, don’t blame me for what happens next.” he croaked out, tears streaking down his cheek. He clawed at the Alphas face and felt his nail tear into his eye. The man howled in pain and let him go to grab his bleeding eye. Zayn pressed the button, the Master Ball grew in size.

He clicked it again, the ball burst open…

The car stopped as the night filled with the sound of grinding metal, snapping bone, and screams.

* * *

Liam groaned awake and let out a deep sigh, slightly annoyed by his alarm. He felt a little sad as he stared at the empty side of the bed. He slept well, but he was disappointed that he wasn’t waking up to a beautiful, sleepy eyed Omega in his arms right now. He groaned as he sat up and took a few steps forward. He shook his hands and cracked his neck before letting himself fall forward. He quickly did about 40 push-ups before standing and doing some quick stretching. He went to his bag and pulled on his normal morning workout attire; black sweatpants, a loose white T-shirt, and socks of course. He pulled all of his clothes and shoes on before letting out his Blaziken and Incineroar.

“Good morning Liam.” Blaziken had a very deep voice, he was fairly soft spoken and only spoke when he had something important to say.

“Morning.” Incineroar grumbled. His voice was deep as well, but had much more personality to it...that personality was usually anger or annoyance. He was much louder, and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or let Liam know when something was pissing him off. 

“What’s with you my hot headed friend?” Liam quipped. The cat Pokemon tsked.

“Had a crap night, couldn’t sleep well...that blue one pisses me off.” He raised an eyebrow.

“You mean Zayn’s Lucario? Why?”

“He kept giving me dirty looks in the bath, I wanted to go beat the shit outta him but Blaziken wouldn’t let me.”

“Thanks for that Blaziken.” Liam said. He nodded.

“You’re welcome.” Liam sighed.

“Well, this isn’t going to make you happy...but we’re going to be traveling with Zayn and his Pokemon for a while guys.” Blaziken didn’t react at all, but Incineroar’s eyes widened in surprise and then quickly shifted into anger.

“Why!?” he demanded. He frowned.

“He has Celebi, he’s going to be a target…” he frowned.

“And he has something else, something he captured in a Master Ball.”

“Something dangerous?” Blaziken asked. He frowned.

“Dunno, it’s definitely something he doesn’t have any control over.”

“We may want to remove it from him then.” Blaziken said calmly. He smiled weakly, his Blaziken was a bit cold ironically enough. He wasn't afraid to make hard choices, very much the type who'd sacrifice a small herd of Pokemon to protect a valley of them. He was very logical, he always took his time to analyze the situation before diving in. Half the time Liam doesn’t even have to give him battle commands, because the Pokemon already thought up the best course of action for himself.

“Nah, we need him to trust us...it’s much safer to stay close and watch over him.”

“You just want to be near him for mating purposes.” the cat quipped. He frowned.

“Quiet you, if Zayn and I...have a relationship, then it's none of your business.”

“It is if it impairs your judgment.” Blaziken said calmly. The Alpha frowned at his oldest friend.

“He won’t impair my judgment.”

“You told us before we left the Elite Four compound that stopping Shiva and Team Rocket was our top priority above all else. Is following this Zayn around going to help us with that?” the bird Pokemon asked.

“It is, he’s heading through all the major cities for the Gym battles...he gets to have his adventure and in the meantime we investigate the local Team Rocket sightings. And again, _he has Celebi._ Celebi is central to their plan and I think they at least suspect I know where she is...and unfortunately they saw him with me. They’ll want to bring him in to probably torture the hell out of him until he tells them everything he knows. It's our fault Zayn’s involved in this, we have to protect him.” His Pokemon were silent for a few moments before responding.

“Fair enough Liam, I will do all I can to help you protect the boy and Celebi.”

“I still think you just want to mate him but fine, I’ll continue to put up with that Lucario and help.” He smiled at his Pokemon. They were both very good at heart, it was times like these that always reminded him how lucky he was to have them.

“Alright, thanks guys...I’ll make sure we hit up the noodle shop again before we leave.” he grinned. They both seemed to perk up at that and he smiled and soon they were out the inn to go on their early 6 AM jog.

They didn’t get far though, before being stopped by a crime scene.

Police vehicles were parked all over the road. Yellow police tape was put up all around a black van. Liam was stunned, the top of the van looked like it had been completely ripped off. He saw it a few yards away at the foot of a tree where it seemed to have been thrown. The inside of the van was empty, glass everywhere. Liam finally noticed a nearby body covered in a sheet, he saw a bit of blood soaked through where the head would be.

“Liam! Surprised to see you here…” Anna Styles ducked under the tape and approached him.

“What the hell happened?” he asked. She snorted and shook her head.

“Fuck if I know. Pardon the language, this is just...not something I expected to wake up to today.” She looked over at the body, he followed her gaze.

“Got the call about an hour ago, my morning shift employee at the Inn was on his way into work when he found this van left on the side of the road. He panicked and called the Police when he saw the body…” She sighed and held up what looked like a small clutch bag.

“The body is Mrs. Maggie Swan, age 37. She was a school teacher over in Fayz City of all places. Officer Jenny already had one of her officers look her up, apparently she just up and quit her job one day and moved out of the city...seems the call of Team Rocket was enough for her. That was only three months ago.” He stared at her.

“She was Team Rocket?”

“Yeah, she was wearing a shirt with their damn symbol on it. The passenger's side glove compartment also had what looked like blurry pictures of you and Zayn. Zayn’s picture was circled and the words Target were written on it. They were here for the Omega.” He growled in anger and shook his head.

“Damnit, should have known they’d move quick. I thought he had more time before they’d come after him.”

“Yeah, he’s not safe here Liam, they’ll send more after him.”

“He won’t leave until he gets the badge from you.” he said. She tsked and sighed loudly.

“Damnit, I wish I could just give him the damn thing...though if he’s anything like his mother was, I doubt he’d accept it even if I offered it.” He chuckled weakly, feeling a bit awkward laughing at a crime scene with a dead body nearby.

“You’re probably right…”

“Still...what the hell happened here? The officers said they found evidence of other people in the van, not even including the fact that she was found in one of the back seats. Where the hell are the rest of her team? Why was she the only one left?” the bewildered Gym Leader asked.

“How’d she die?” She shook her head.

“Snapped neck, it was a clean break she must have died instantly. I suppose in a horrible way she’s lucky, it would have been a very quick and painless death.” He nodded, turning to frown at the van.

“Only a Pokemon could have done that to the van...any clue what it was?”

“Still investigating...though I will say, there's no evidence of fire or anything being used. Just force, as if something grabbed it and just yanked it off and threw it away.”

“You might want to widen your search then, if your looking for those missing people...they may have been thrown.” she grimaced.

“Shit, you’re probably right. I’ll tell Jenny…” She smiled weakly at him.

“I’ll call the front desk staff and have them prepare a giant breakfast for you and Zayn. Please, go back and try to wake the Omega up and get him ready. I want to have this fight as quick as possible so he can leave, he isn’t safe here...plus his mother would never forgive me, _especially_ if I let her son get hurt by those damn Team Rocket goons.” He nodded.

“Alright, I’ll head back...let me know if you need any help.” She nodded back.

“Thank you Liam.” He turned and slowly jogged back to the Inn, his two Pokemon just behind him.

“What do you believe happened Liam?” Blaziken asked. He frowned, deep in thought.

“Don’t know...but this confirms they are going after Zayn.”

“Yeah, suppose it was the right call to have us follow the kid.” Incineroar added. He nodded back as they returned to the Inn. They stopped in the room and Liam got changed and returned his Pokemon to their balls. He was about to leave when he noticed a Great Ball on the ground. He picked it up and frowned, was this one of his? He clicked it open and suddenly Froslass was floating in front of him.

“Oh! Hi, you must have fell off his belt last night...I’m ah, Liam. If you don’t remember.” The Froslass let out a big yawn before giving him an unimpressed look. She simply repeated her name a few times and he laughed awkwardly.

“Ah, yeah...anyway, how about we go see Zayn then?” the Froslass just nodded and already began floating towards the door. He walked behind her and chuckled to himself as she didn't wait for him and simply phased through the door. He opened the door and found the ghost type looking left and right.

"Door right in front of you." He said. She looked back at him, let out a soft scoff, and floated on.

"Think Zayn's got his work cut out for him." Liam chuckled quietly to himself. He followed after the Pokemon and knocked on the door as the Froslass simply let herself in. A few seconds later, the door unlocked and he was surprised to see it was Lucario who answered the door.

"Oh...hi Lucario, is Zayn-"

"Zayn...not well." He frowned.

"Yeah? Is he sick?" The Lucario got a frustrated look on his face, the Alpha remembered that he had not quite mastered human speech yet and assumed it had to do with that.

"Zayn...very sad." His brow furrowed and he felt an urge to go comfort the boy.

"Can I help? I...can I see him?" Lucario nodded slowly.

"That..would be... good." He nodded back and followed after the blue Pokemon, pushing the door closed behind him. He frowned, the room was totally dark except for the soft glow of the bedside lamp. He stopped his approach as he finally heard the soft sobbing noises coming from the Omega. The boy was mostly under the covers, only his bare shoulders and the back of his head was visible. Liam noticed Pikachu was curled up against the young Omegas chest, while Celebi was sitting on the pillow next to his head and gently rubbing his hair. They both looked up at his approach.

"Hey Zayn, Liam's here…" Pikachu said. The Omega let Pikachu go, Liam was already kicking his shoes off so he could get on the bed. He crawled up just as Zayn turned to him with teary eyes and-

An angry growl ripped through Liam's throat as he caught sight of the Omegas face. His left eye was bloodshot and bruised while the area around the cheek was red and a little swollen. 

" _Who did this to you_?" The Omega let out another whimper before bursting into tears again. Liam laid down so he could pull the crying Omega into his arms.

"Darling, please tell me what happened. Who hit you?"

"Wasn't hit...j-just an idiot. Tripped and smacked my face on-"

"Zayn, please don't lie to me. What happened?"

"...a-after last night, I went out for a smoke...this guy jumped me and tried to steal my wallet. He hit me but I managed to get away from him and ran inside. I didn't see what happened to the guy I just ran to my room and locked the door…" he whimpered again and Liam growled in anger.

"Bastard…would Celebi here be willing to-"

"He won't let her." Pikachu huffed. He frowned at the Pokemon before turning to look back down at the sniffling boy.

"Why not Zayn?" The Omega shook his head.

"She...she always gets tired when she uses it. It's fine, it'll heal quick enough on its own." He frowned, the Alpha still felt like he was being lied to...but he didn't want to push the poor Omega anymore. So he simply nodded and continued to hold the shivering boy to his chest in silence.

Bulbasaur! LOOK AT HIM LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS.


	4. End of Book 1: Whatever it Takes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys ;[ I'm so sorry this one took so long. I didn't mean for it and I had to go back and rewrite large bits of it because I wasn't super happy with it. I'm much happier with this however and this marks the end of Book 1! So if it's not obvious, I've decided how I'm going to go about doing this story. Each 'book' will be him dealing with his next gym. They will all be about 4-6 chapters but obviously this will vary depending on how much story I have to tell at certain points :]  
> Anyway, I'm happy that people are reading and enjoying, I appreciate you commentators and kudos givers very much <3  
> Hopefully there will be less distance between chapters for a bit, I have a bunch of free time because coronavirus. Not that I have it or anything, my school extended spring break by a week so I have time to do other things that are not school!  
> Anyway, I know many of you readers are probably stuck in self quarantine or unfortunately having to go out and work. I wish you all good health, and I hope this chapter brings at least a few of you some joy because I know things suck right now.  
> <3 xoxoxoxox
> 
> and with that! I hope you all enjoy the climatic climax of Book 1! Enjoy! :]

**Chapter 4: Whatever it takes (End of book 1)**

Zayn felt numb as he readied himself for the day. He did his best, but the stinging in his cheek kept reminding him of what happened...of the people who died.

He didn't want to kill them, he didn't. They were trying to kidnap him, they hurt him...it was self-defense…

So why were their screams of terror still playing back over and over in his head? The sound of metal being torn in half, bone snapping, screams being cut off with a sudden gag of blood…he could still hear it all so clearly…

He shook his head and quickly pulled on his black T-shirt and pulled up his black shorts. He tied them as he thought back to just a couple hours ago, back to Liam lying in bed with him. He thinks the Alpha knew that he was lying (he didn't consider himself to be a very good liar) but he never called Zayn out, just held him for as long as Zayn wanted until he got a call. After he hung up, he gave him a sad look and asked if he was up for breakfast. He left so Zayn could dress in peace.

"Zayn, talk to us...you know you can trust us." Pikachu frowned, still looking very worried about him.

"He clearly doesn't want to talk about whatever happened to him, just let him sulk." Froslass chimed in. He scowled at her.

"You're new so it's understandable that you wouldn't _get_ it but working out your problems with words is important."

"Yes, but whatever his problem is just happened to him last night. He needs time to calm down and process things before talking about them and trying to figure it out." Frost sighed. Zayn turned slowly; his Pikachu was standing on the nearby bed as Froslass floated just a few feet away. Celebi was quietly and happily chatting away with Lucario at the nearby table, both had small plates with Poke Food in them. He smiled softly; he was glad to see Celebi getting along with his best friends.

Froslass however…

He turned, the ghost and the mouse were still arguing away about him as if he wasn't in the room with them. 

"Hey." He said. His Pokémon all stopped talking and turned to look at him.

"Frost, we need to talk alone for a minute. Mind joining me in the bathroom?" They all seemed surprised by this.

"Oh, uh ...of course Zayn." The ghost said in surprise. He gestured for the other room, the Pokémon nodded and began floating towards the door.

"We'll be just a minute...and eat up Pikachu, you've got a Gym Leader to face." The Pokémon grinned.

"Ah! Yes, very true Zayn. My Thunderbolts may be the only thing that win us the day! I have to be in tip top form…" Zayn thought he heard the Froslass mumble something at that, but he wasn't positive. He smiled warmly at his Pokémon and rubbed his cheek.

"We'll talk about last night after the battle, okay? Thank you for being concerned though Pikachu, you know I appreciate it." The Pokémon smiled up at him and gave his hand a quick nuzzle. 

"Of course, you're my best friend! I just wish you'd let Celebi heal your face…" he shook his head.

"I'll be ok Pikachu; it'll heal in no time." He left and soon enough he was alone with his newest Pokémon in the bathroom.

"So, we haven't...really gotten to talk much since you joined the team." He started. He was going to do his best not to offend her, the last thing he needed right now was for her to refuse to fight.

"You seem to be a busy human, it's fine I'm not insulted or anything." He nodded, feeling slightly relieved.

"Good...but I just wanted to ask you some stuff, get to know you a little more." She chuckled at that.

"Oh, that's more than fine, I've a few questions myself."

"Well, not a lot...I only had two questions for you actually." The Pokémon nodded.

"Alright, start."

"How do you know my mother?" He said immediately. The Pokémon was silent for a beat before scoffing and looking away in anger.

"That horrible woman...she took my home from me. " He blinked in surprise.

"She did?" The Pokémon nodded.

"I lived in a mountain near that giant city you humans made; I believe you call it Fayz City."

"Wow, long way from here." He said. She nodded.

"I don't leave often; I only leave when I know Celebi is due to wake up...but I had to leave early because of _her_ …"

"What did she do?" The Pokémon growled.

"I've lived in that snowy mountain for generations. Humans occasionally show up to climb it...and I admit, I have consumed souls. I've eaten only evil men’s souls however! Never those good of heart." She covered her mouth with her arm and looked away.

"You should know that's why I didn't eat you when I found out you were the Malik woman's son. I can sense you’re a good boy, simple maybe, but good." He laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, well thank you Frost…" she scoffed and dramatically looked away from him.

"Don't read too much into it, I find most humans to be good at heart...but some men just want to hurt women and ruin everything they can get their grubby little hands on. They don't deserve to have souls." He chuckled.

"Right...but let’s let me know before you decide to eat a guy’s soul yeah? That would kind of make me implicit in murder, you know, since I'm technically your trainer…"

"Ah, yes, humans have laws about murder. I had forgotten, I'll restrain myself as best I can."

"Thanks." The Omega chuckled, silently fearing the day when the Pokémon decided it really wanted to rip a guy’s soul out and eat it.

"Anyway, I'm distracting us from your question. A few weeks ago, two women showed up out of the blue on my mountain and in my home. It was quite a fright for me, I don’t know how they did it they were suddenly just…there. One woman was in normal looking human snow gear and the other...she was very odd. She was also in snow gear, but she was wearing a helmet. It's hard to describe, it was dark blue metal covered in very strange glowing sky-blue lines. How they glowed...it wasn't natural, I've never seen anything like it. When the masked one spoke, her voice was very deep and strange. Even through the snow gear you could tell she had the body of a woman but listening to her voice you'd never guess it...she told the other woman that they should clear out the area of Pokémon, she called the woman Tricia Malik." Zayn felt his heart rate increase at that.

"Obviously when I heard that, I decided to make them leave my home...by force. But they were ready for me...a very powerful Psychic Pokémon had been hiding just in the shadows, it was -"

"Alakazam." He said softly. The Pokémon nodded.

"You know it then?"

"My mom's oldest friend...yeah I know Mr. Kazam." He said, remembering what he and all his sister's use to call him as kids.

"Yeah, well...he wiped the floor with me. I could barely do anything; he was so strong…" she sighed.

"I barely managed to escape. Thankfully even a powerful Psychic Pokémon like that can't travel through walls like a ghost. I left and snuck back in a few days later once I'd recovered from my pummeling. They've set up headquarters or something, in my home! Can you believe it? Of all the places…" her eyes darkened in anger.

"I snuck around until I heard something that sent me running. A couple of men were excitedly chatting about how they finally found a 'legendary' Pokémon. I was going to continue...until one man asked what Pokémon and the other said Celebi." 

"So, you rushed to go save her, but she was already gone." He said. She sighed and nodded.

"I... didn’t react well. I went to that cave to interrogate the Pokémon there...one of them said some rude things, set me off into a bit of a rage. Then some teenagers showed up and then-"

"Then you met us." He chuckled. She nodded.

"Yes...I've answered your question, now answer mine…" she stared at his neck.

"Where did you get that thing and is it a danger to Celebi?" His eyes darkened and he huffed. 

"A cave...and it's a danger to everybody, but I have it under control."

"Do you? Because-"

"I have it under control." He growled. Her eyes narrowed and she just huffed.

"Fine...you better hope you know what you're doing, otherwise you're going to get us all killed." He said nothing to this, silence for a few seconds before a sudden knock on the door.

"Zayn, Liam is here."

"I'll be right out Luca." He said. He turned back to Frost and sighed.

"Can I rely on you to fight today? That was going to be my other question." The Pokémon’s eyes narrowed.

"I'm not fighting that Ninetales, it's much too strong for me." He frowned back.

"That's fine, I'll send you out against one of the other Pokémon...but you know, you'll never get stronger if you don't challenge yourself." She rolled her eyes and he chuckled. They made for the door, but Zayn froze just as he grabbed the door handle.

"Frost...sorry, I had one more question."

"Yes?" He turned.

"You're sure the masked one... you're sure she called her Tricia Malik? She said, 'We have to clear out all the Pokémon, Tricia Malik?'" Frost gave him a quizzical look but nodded.

"Yes, exactly like that actually...I remember because it's all she said." He nodded slowly.

"Ah...ok."

"Why?"

"Just... wanted to confirm it really was my mum."

"Did you know your mother was with Team Rocket?" He chuckled as he turned back towards the door to leave.

"No... but I'm not surprised."

**6 Years before departure**

"You need to focus."

"I'm trying m-"

" _Zayn,_ do _not_ lie to me."

"He's trying Mrs. Malik, it's me I'm distracting-"

" _Pokémon_ , I am trying to speak with my son right now...what should _you_ be doing?"

"T-training! Sorry ma'am!" Pikachu rushed off and Zayn huffed.

"Mum, h-he has a name-"

"Zayn! Why are you not focusing? Keep reading!" He nodded quickly and stared back down at the book.

"Tricia…" he didn't dare look up as his parents began arguing again. It had become all too common. Tricia didn’t smile anymore, she used to smile all the time. Over the years she had grown cold, angry, resentful and sometimes even hostile towards the people around her. She became strict with her children, but none more so than Zayn. She pushed all her children towards greatness but with Zayn she shoved and kicked him towards it. She never struck him physically, her tool of discipline was words...they were all she needed.

“ _You’re being cruel Tricia! He’s only 12…”_

_“I am not being cruel! He’s never going to become something great if we don’t push him.”_

_“Forcing him to do nothing but study books all day isn’t right Tricia! He’s only a kid once, he needs to be allowed to play and do things kids are supposed to do! He’s earned a break, this isn’t healthy.”_

_“Rubbish, it's all just distractions. I won’t let my son become a failure Yaser! If anything, I need to push him even harder! Whatever it takes!_ "

Zayn sniffled into his pillow, shaking as his parents' argument filled the whole house. He felt the arm around his shoulder tighten, his older sister Doniya kissed his temple and hugged him tightly to her side.

“It’s alright Zayn, it’ll be ok…”

“Why is Mum being like this Doni? Did I do something wrong…?" he asked softly. She sighed and shook her head, his eldest sister looked so sad.

“She’s just...angry Zayn. It’s nothing you did, you’re a good kid.”

“Why is Mum so mad?” She sighed again.

“She...it’s complicated Zayn. Just know, she does love you...even if she doesn’t always show it.” He nodded and curled closer to his sister, needing comfort as their parents yelling got even louder.

**Present**

“You need to eat.” Liam said softly next to him. He nodded and picked at his eggs, not feeling hungry because of the nerves. They were currently in the inns small dining area. It had dark wooden walls, a few tables scattered around, a large window that showed the front of the hotel and large amounts of counter space dedicated to fruit, cereal, and coffee makers.

“I know…”

“It’s ok Zayn...I get it, I always got super nervous before every Gym battle. It’s ok to be nervous.”

“How did you handle the nerves?” he asked. He chuckled weakly.

“Ah, well...can’t say I ever found a good way. I mostly did a lot of breathing and meditation before the fights, it helps.” He nodded and picked up a couple grapes to pop into his mouth.

“Fill me in on her Pokémon.” He chuckled weakly.

“Well, it depends on who she decides to use today. She has a few as you can imagine, and she always switches up the order and who she uses so people must adapt and won’t be able to fully prepare beforehand. But I will say, guaranteed, she is using Ninetales last. She always uses Ninetales last.” Zayn nodded.

“Ok, I can work with that...what will I possibly have to fight?” He smiled.

“She has a Sandslash, a Geodude, Onix. She’s also got a Diglett and I believe a Rhyhorn.” He nodded.

“Mostly Ground and Rock types then. Pikachu is going to be at a disadvantage against both. So...my best bet with him would be-”

“Send him up against Ninetales.” Liam finished. Zayn nodded.

“Exactly…do you think Pikachu could handle her?” He laughed awkwardly.

“I mean...I haven’t seen him fight at all; it really is going to depend on his skill. I will say though, Ninetales is easily her most powerful Pokémon so I hope you’re ready for that. Fire and Electricity don’t have an advantage or disadvantage against one another so it’s going to come down to skill and sheer power.” He nodded and continued to eat.

“How’re things with Froslass? She seemed...not very happy last night at the dinner.” he asked. Zayn smiled weakly.

“She’ll be fine, she was being a bit difficult, but I think we’ll be ok.” 

"Good, good …" Zayn finished his eggs and turned to look up at the Alpha. He was drinking his coffee and looking out the window. He noted the man had an odd look in his eye, like he was looking for something…

"Liam?" The man looked down at him.

"Yeah babe?" Zayn blushed heavily at the man's use of babe.

"O-oh, um...I just wanted to ask if you...or ah, if I could kiss-" the man dipped down immediately and planted a slow, lingering kiss to his lips. Zayn hummed and squeezed the man's hand on his cheek. Zayn could taste the coffee on his lips, it was delicious. The Alpha slowly pulled away and smiled at the flustered Omega.

"Anything else I can do for you love?" He giggled and squeezed the man's hand again.

"There's...there's um, a lot of stuff I want you to do for me…" he smirked and dipped in close again.

"Yeah? Like what love...what do you want me to do to you?" He laughed softly, feeling slightly flustered again because he wasn't used to this kind of heavy flirting.

"Hmm...maybe another kiss?" He smiled softly.

"Anything else?" He blushed.

"Maybe, ah...maybe you could-" 

"Ah, there you are…" They both looked up, Gemma was smiling down at the two of them with a knowing look on her face. Zayn felt embarrassed, but then felt a little better as Liam squeezed his arm around Zayn's shoulder. Her eyes widened in shock as the Omega turned and she got a look at his bruised face.

"Zayn! Are you ok? What happened?" He quickly shook his head.

"It was nothing, just some asshole Alpha who jumped me when I went out to smoke last night." She huffed in anger.

"Bastard! I'll check the security cameras for last night, see if I can't identify the guy. If he's one of our other guests, then you can be sure we're going to kick his ass out on the street!" Zayn felt himself pale slightly.

"Oh, you have security cameras?" She laughed.

"Course! We're a pretty big business, it'd be irresponsible _not_ to have cameras." He laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, thank you but there's no need for that. I'm pretty sure the guy was just some drunk asshole, it's not a big deal…" Liam frowned down at him.

"Zee, it is a big deal. The piece of shit hurt you, he shouldn't just get away with it." Zayn shook his head.

"It's fine, I don't really care anymore. I'm just worried about the Gym Leader and moving on to the next town." Gemma chuckled at that.

"You remind me so much of Doniya Zayn...alright, if you're not that concerned about it then we'll leave it be." He nodded, relaxing a bit because now he didn't have to figure out a way to destroy the security system.

"So! How's breakfast been?"

"Good! The cooking has gotten a lot better since I was here last." The Alpha chuckled. She grinned.

"We hired a local named Marnie Colfax, she has the special ability of knowing how to spice and season food with more than just salt and pepper." Zayn giggled at that and took a drink of water.

"So, did you two hear about the attack last night?" Zayn froze and looked up.

"Attack?" 

"Yeah, a van got _destroyed_ and there was a dead woman it was pretty brutal. Apparently, she was a Team Rocket member."

"Oh...wow."

"Yeah, came across the crime scene during my morning workout." Liam said suddenly. They both looked up at him.

"I mean, the police were already there. Talked to your mum, they think a Pokémon probably did it. Ripped the van in half." He added, taking another drink of his coffee.

"Wow, can't imagine the kind of Pokémon powerful enough to do that." Gemma said.

"Neither can I." Zayn chuckled, doing his absolute best to act normal. Liam looked down at the boy, noticing how tense he was. He frowned, was the boy worried because they were Team Rocket? Or…

Liam tensed, because ...no, he couldn't...could he? He stared down at the boy, frowning as Gemma and him chatted about the area. Only a powerful Pokémon could have done that...Zayn has a Pokémon in the Master Ball that he fears. He was out of Liam's sight for the rest of the night, he had a bruise on his cheek and is very against finding the guy who did it…

Liam knows Zayn was their target …

"So, is Mrs. Styles ready for me?" Gemma nodded.

"She is actually, it's why I came looking for you." He nodded and stood.

"Well, we're ready." She grinned.

" _Awesome._ I'll see you two at the Gym then...Liam knows the way." She walked off and Zayn turned just as the Alpha finished his coffee and stood.

"So... guess it's time to do this." The Omega chuckled, feeling the nerves wash over him. The Alpha gave him a sympathetic smile and squeezed his shoulder.

"You're going to win Zayn; I think you've got this." 

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He confirmed with a smile. The Omega nodded and they left for his room to go collect his Pokémon. As they walked, Liam debated if he should say anything to Zayn about last night. He was sure that the Omega had something to do with the van, it just made too much sense…

And if it's true, then maybe Blaziken was right about taking that Master Ball away from him…

But for now, Liam decided to keep all of this to himself...it could wait until after the Gym battle. He didn't want to psyche the already nervous Omega out by distracting him with all of this. Liam himself understood the nervousness you get from fighting Gym Leaders all too well, the Omega didn't need any distractions. 

"Guys! It's time." Zayn said as they entered the room. Pikachu and Lucario both perked up at this, Celebi and Froslass stopped their conversation to look up at them.

" _Finally!_ I've been itching to go since yesterday! Let's go Pokémon! Time to go kick some ass and get out of this damn desert!" Pikachu grinned excitedly. He rushed over to Zayn and quickly jumped up onto his shoulder. 

"Celebi!" Celebi chimed excitedly, fluttering over to sit on top of Zayn's head. 

"Oh, Celebi I'm sorry but you'll have to go back into your ball. We can't risk someone in Team Rocket seeing you.” the Omega said with a frown 

"That won't be a problem." Frost said, floating over to them. Celebi closed her eyes and seemed to tense. Suddenly, her body became completely invisible. The only evidence she was still there was Zayn’s hair, which was sitting a bit oddly on his head.

"Oh! Well then, I don't see any reason why she can't stay out for a bit." Zayn smiled. Liam nodded.

"Works for me." They all piled out of the room and the Alpha led them to the Desert Town Gym.

Zayn's eyes were wide as he stared up at the Gym entrance. It was built into the side of the pass, a small revolving door connected to a large glass arch led inside and massive Geodude statues had been sculpted on either side of the entrance. There was a small plaza in front of the entrance, at its center a large fountain and a couple stands were set up selling mostly tourist junk.

They all made their way inside and Zayn marveled at the sculpted rock walls and carved statues of rock type Pokémon. Zayn could see the registration booth for the Gym challenge. In their own booths next to her were an item shop and a small gift shop that seemed to sell mostly T shirts. Next to the booth was a small gate in front of two large stone doors. 

"Hello! Mr. Malik, I take it?" The woman working the booth was an older looking Japanese woman with a bundle of curly white hair on her head.

"Yes, that's me." He said. She nodded and smiled.

"Right! We were told you were coming, please make your way through the doors and into the arena." He nodded and they walked through a small gate and the massive stone doors began to slowly open. Zayn looked behind them and noticed some locals going up to the booth to buy tickets, he guessed he was going to have an audience today. The doors opened and they walked through and into a massive hallway that ran left and right. The hallway wall was completely glass, so Zayn could easily see the inside of the arena and the stands surrounding it. The arena floor was covered in sand. Surrounding it was large stone seating carved into crude chairs that Zayn imagined couldn't be too terribly comfortable.

"Mr. Malik!" Gemma approached them, she had changed into sports bra and slacks with a pink vizor sitting on her head. She smiled and gestured to the hallway on the left.

"If you would be so kind as to follow me to the dressing room!" He nodded at her and smiled.

"Of course, thank you." They followed her as Zayn and his Pokémon’s eyes wandered over the hallway in wonder. Paintings hung on the walls of former Gym Leaders, all them beautifully painted and gave intense detail to the figures in them.

"As we go, I'll go ahead and remind you of the rules." Gemma said.

"1! You are restricted to only using three Pokémon, they can be any type you want." Zayn felt a hand wrap up in his own, he didn't look (as he was trying to pay attention to Gemma), but he did smile softly and give the hand a squeeze.

"2! No items, at all. 3! Each round starts with a coin toss, the winner picks who summons first. If you summon first, you have twenty seconds to decide who you are using. Whoever summons second will have 20 seconds to decide which Pokémon they will use in response. After 20 seconds are up, I ask you one more time to summon something and if you don't, then that round is considered forfeit." Zayn nodded seriously.

"Ok." 

"Rule 4! No switching Pokémon in the middle of battle. There is no time limit, they go until one Pokémon loses or surrenders. And finally rule 5, if a side surrenders then all fighting stops immediately. Any continued aggression will be counted as a loss got it?" He nodded again and she smiled and stopped in front of a normal looking wood door with a golden plaque on it that said 'challenger'.

"Then that's all I've got to say! This is your changing room, there's water in the mini fridge and some Poke food. Relax, and I'll be back to grab you in ten." He nodded.

"Thanks Gemma." She nodded and left them alone. They walked inside, stone walls and a small couch with a TV and mini fridge filled up the room. He turned; his Pokémon immediately walked past him to start exploring the room, but his eyes were trained on Liam. The Alpha smiled warmly at him and strolled forward.

"Still nervous?"

"A little bit." Zayn chuckled weakly. He smiled softly.

"Alright...it's normal to be nervous, understandable really.” He nodded.

"I know…" the Alpha slowly moved forward to catch the boy's hip with his hand.

"I'll leave then, let you talk with your team...but I want you to know something." He leaned forward and kissed Zayn softly on the lips.

"You got this." He said, keeping his face close to the Omegas.

"Yeah?" The boy asked. Liam smiled.

" _Yes_ Zayn, I believe in you...so do your Pokémon. And you believe in them yeah?" He nodded.

"Of course."

"Then you got this." He said, gently squeezing that hand on the Omegas hip and pulling him flush against his body. Zayn sighed as he was pulled into a deep kiss. He felt the nerves flutter away as they kissed and hugged each other. They pulled their lips apart but pressed their foreheads together and hugged each other even tighter.

"Kick some ass Zee." The Omega smiled and gave the Alpha a quick peck on the lips before pulling away.

"Oh yeah, kicking ass is what I do man." The Alpha chuckled and gave him one last wink before turning and leaving the room.

"Is it really normal for two humans to get so sappy so quickly? Honestly Zayn I don't think it's even technically been a day yet!" Pikachu said, giving him the side eye from his spot on Lucario's shoulder.

"I like him...I don't know, I feel drawn to him, can't really explain it. Just get over it, we have a match to focus on." The Omega said, feeling self-conscious now about his relationship. He knew that maybe they shouldn't be this close already...but they were, and Zayn found that he didn't really want to question it. Maybe that was irresponsible of him...

"I understand Zayn, Liam is a _very_ attractive man...I bet his soul tastes like candy." Froslass sighed. He gave her a panicked look.

"Don't get any ideas Frost, he's off limits." She giggled at that but didn't respond, it was slightly worrying. He turned to give his Pokémon serious looks. 

"Alright...we can't afford to lose here. Tomorrow is the end of our first week, a week since we beat the first Gym Leader. We _are_ going to beat the two months record my mother set. I need you all here, with me. Alright?"

"Of course, Zayn!" Pikachu said, giving him a mock salute. Lucario said nothing but nodded and gave him a serious look. Froslass just sighed at that.

"I'll do my part, but I won't listen to incompetence. I certainly hope you know how to guide a Pokémon in a fight."

"He does! Have some confidence jeez…" Pikachu said with a frown. Zayn nodded.

"I can guide us to victory...but my words mean shit if you don't listen. I need you to trust me." Froslass chuckled.

"Trust is earned."

"Then I hope I can earn yours today." He said. A knock on the door, they all turned to look.

"Come in!" He yelled. The door opened; Gemma was smiling at him.

"My mum's ready, you good to go?"

"Hell yes we are!" Pikachu grinned, sparks of electricity softly releasing from his red cheeks. Gemma grinned at that.

"Good fucking attitude! I like it!" She gestured for the door and they all followed her to the arena.

**1 day before departure**

"Zayn, come in." He walked into his mother's office alone. It was a small little square with dark brown wood floors, wooden walls, and a large bay window that gave a lovely view of their backyard garden. He could see Pikachu and Lucario playing with Safaa in the garden...they looked happy.

"Sit." She said, gesturing to the chair in front of her desk. He nodded slowly and sat down.

"Zayn…your birthday is tomorrow. Your 18th birthday...this is a big one. You're going to be a man soon, are you excited?" He didn't respond right away, worried that this was another of his mother's 'tests' and he'd say something wrong.

"I... yeah, I guess I am…"

"I have a present for you." She said, seemingly ignoring what he said. His eyes widened a little. A present? From his mother?

"O-oh…"

"This isn't actually from me, it's from your Grandmother." His eyes were wide.

"Gram? But she's-"

"Yes Zayn, I am aware my mother is dead. Use your head boy!" He flinched and nodded slowly.

"Sorry Mum…" she just rolled her eyes at her son. 

"Don't be sorry, be smarter. Anyway, she left me this before she passed. She gave me two, to be given to my only living children at the time. I already gave your sister hers when she turned 18…now it's time for you." She reached into her desk and pulled out a small box and pushed it across the desk. He grabbed it and slowly looked it over.

"I debated if I should even give this to you. I don't think you've earned it...but it was my mother's final wish before she died. She wanted you both to be Pokémon trainers." He pushed the top off the box, his next breath caught in his throat. Sitting inside was a shiny, perfect condition Master Ball. He'd never seen one in real life, only pictures in books and on the internet. 

"You know what that is?"

"The strongest Poke Ball ever made." He said, stunned. She nodded.

"Only 100 were ever made. I never told you kids this, but your grandmother was part of the program that made them. It's why she had two of them." Silence as he tried to process everything.

"You understand the responsibility in your hands, don't you Zayn?" He looked slowly up at his mother. 

"Y-yes! Of course, I do…" she didn't seem totally convinced but nodded.

"That extremely rare item in your hands isn't something to be wasted on some common Pokémon you could find wandering around Bradford. You need to capture something powerful Zayn, or something extremely exotic and rare. Don't disappoint me Zayn, I just entrusted you with something worth more money than you and I will ever make in our lifetimes. You also need to be aware, that there are people in this world who have killed for one of them. You can't let anyone know about it Zayn, if the wrong person finds out…"

"I understand mother, I won't tell a soul." She nodded.

"Alright...now leave, I have things I need to finish up." He nodded slowly and stood. He made for the exit, when his mother caught him again.

"Oh, and Zayn?" He turned to look at his mother. Part of him hoped she'd say something kind, caring even. Maybe a 'happy birthday.' or even a 'I love you'. Something he hadn't heard his mother say since he was just a little boy.

"Yes Mum?"

"Don't forget to shut the door, you left it open last time and it got cold in here." She looked down and continued writing something down in her ledger. He nodded slowly, hating that he wasn't surprised but hating that he still let his mother affect him. 

"Yes ma'am." He slowly turned, feeling tears dribble down his cheeks as he left.

He didn't know that this was the last conversation he was going to have with her for a very long time. Tomorrow, he'd wake up to his father in the kitchen crying. His wife, her Pokémon, and her things were gone. It was like she was never even there. 

**Present**

"Helloooooo Desert Town fight fans! Who's ready for a show!?" Gemma grinned into her microphone. The stands weren't full or anything, but there were still a solid hundred or so people here to watch. Most of them cheered but some simply clapped. Zayn looked out and quickly found Liam, who was sitting in the very front row. He smiled as the three seats next to him were filled with Blaziken, Incineroar, and Growlithe who barked happily and seemed very excited. Liam smiled at him and gave him a quick wink. He smiled and quickly turned back to Gemma.

"In the left corner, we have a very special Challenger! Fresh off his first win against Silvia and son of a couple Gym leader _legends_! Zayn Malik everybody!" He waved awkwardly to the crowd, who was clapping for him while Liam whistled and clapped rather loudly. He smiled and laughed at his boyfriend and shook his head.

"And in the right corner…" the doors on the other side opened and Anna came out, wearing a pair of comfy shorts and a tank top, showing off her impressively muscular arms.

"My mother! Champion of the Desert Town Gym! Anna Styles!" The crowd went _nuts_ for Anna as she just smiled and waved to the crowd. He noticed she was walking towards the center, so he made too follow her. They met in the middle, she smiled at him and held out a hand.

"Good luck Zayn."

"Thank you, good luck to you as well."

"I should warn you...I promised your mother I wouldn't take it easy on you." He smiled at this.

"Wouldn't have it any other way ma'am." She nodded and let go of his hand. She turned to Gemma and smiled at her daughter.

"I know traditionally we flip a coin, but I'm going to let Zayn here pick who throws out first." He blinked in surprise.

"Oh, thank you…"

"Consider it a thank you for your help at the cave yesterday." She grinned. Gemma nodded at this and announced that Zayn would pick who throws out the first Pokémon.

"Well, it's your Gym ma'am. I'll give you the honors." She smiled and nodded. They both walked back and took their positions.

"Alright! Round 1! Let's see some Pokémon!" Gemma grinned. The crowd cheered again, and Anna smirked as she pulled out a Poke Ball.

"For my first pick…" she tossed the ball into the air and out came…

"Sandslash!" She grinned. Zayn already had his Pokedex out and ready to scan.

_Sandslash (Japanese:_ _サンドパン_ _Sandpan) is a Ground-type Pokémon. Sandslash is a tall, yellow, mammalian creature with brown spikes/quills on its back. It has two very long claws on each "hand" used for digging and battling. Sandslash can curl up to a small size just like its pre-evolved form Sandshrew, but it is of a much larger stature, which enhances its defense. Their body is covered by tough spikes, which are hardened sections of its hide. Once a year, the old spikes fall out, to be replaced with new spikes that grow out from beneath the old ones._

"Ground type…" he said. Pikachu huffed.

"I think I would be at a massive disadvantage here Zayn." He nodded.

"It's alright buddy…"

"I'll take this one." They all turned to look at Froslass, who looked amused.

"I've fought a Sandslash before...they are very vulnerable to my ice attacks." He smiled; he could tell she felt confident.

"Alright, I trust you Frost." 

"Good, because this will be over quickly." She began to float out into the arena.

"I choose Froslass!" He yelled. Gemma smirked.

"Alright folks! Round 1! Froslass vs Sandslash!" The crowd cheered as the two Pokémon stood just a few feet apart.

"Alright you two, round 1 starts in 3! 2! 1! GO!" Froslass smirked and a ragged beam of Icey energy exploded from her mouth. The Sandslash dived to the left and its claw came up in one smooth motion.

" _Dodge!_ " Zayn thought desperately at Froslass. She stopped the beam and turned, but too late. The spiky Pokémon tossed sand into her face and she gasped and shot a few feet backwards as she desperately tried to wipe it from her eyes. Zayn’s eyes widened as Anna smirked.

“Rollout, Sandslash!” The Pokémon suddenly curled into a large spike ball and began to wind up, getting faster and faster as it kicked up sand. He cursed as Froslass didn’t seem to notice, as she was still trying to get the sand from her eyes.

“ _Frost! Forget the sand, he’s about to pummel into you! When I tell you, dodge-_ ”

“ _I’m fine human! I can do this myself!_ ” he cursed angrily to himself before thinking back at her.

“ _Damnit Frost! Please! Just_ -” Sandslash suddenly shot forward, a super-fast rolling ball of pain.

“ _Dodge left!_ ” he snapped. She didn’t listen however, instead she opened her mouth and shot another beam at the Sandslash…

But she completely missed her target and the Pokémon slammed into her. She cried out as she was slammed into the nearby stone wall. The Sandslash bounced backwards and began charging up for another go around.

“You know Zayn, it might help if you yell out some orders!” Anna said, seeming confused by his lack of speaking. He grits his teeth and continued to stare at Frost, who seemed pretty banged up.

“You made a mistake Zayn! While it's true my Sandslash is weak to ice attacks...Froslass over there is weak to rock type moves. And my Sandy’s signature move is Rollout...a rock type move.” Anna smiled. He huffed; Anna Styles sweet personality hid her true nature...she was a pretty ruthless Gym leader.

“ _Frost, you ok?_ ”

“ _Ow._ _I’m a ghost, why doesn’t that just go through me? Such bullshit._ ” She groaned in his head as she slowly pulled off from the wall. He noticed her eyes were still twitching and covered in sand. 

“ _Frost...look, I know you don’t want to trust me. I don’t know why, and we don’t have time to talk about it right now...but Frost please, I need you to trust me. I can guide you; I can be your eyes. I know I haven’t earned it...but maybe this is how I’m supposed to do that. If I can’t lead you, then I’ll release you as soon as this is over, and you can leave with Celebi. I won’t stop you...but all I ask is that you give me a chance._ ” She didn’t respond to this for a few beats. 

“ _I’ve trusted two men in my life and they both let me down. I eat evil men because evil men broke my heart...please, don’t be the third._ ” He felt his heart constrict at that and he huffed.

“I won’t be.” he said, out loud this time. The Sandslash shot forward at blinding speeds, closer...closer…

“ _Left._ ” He thought. The ball shot up from the sand, heading right for her head…

She twisted her body to the left at the last moment, the Pokémon slammed harmless into the stone wall and bounced off. It rolled back and began charging again. Zayn kept watch as Froslass spent the time trying to clear her eyes. Sandslash came back for another go around.

" _Right."_ She shot to the right and Sandslash missed yet again.

" _Rollout is used 5 times then they have to take a break, that'll be your shot. Just have to dodge this last one._ "

" _I know how Rollout works Zayn."_ He felt a smile creep onto his face.

" _Is that the first time you've called me by my actual name and not boy?_ " He just heard her scoff in his head.

" _Shut up and concentrate BOY._ " he giggled and said nothing. The Sandslash rocketed forward suddenly, somehow seeming even faster than all the other times.

" _Ok dodge left in 3...2...NOW._ " She shot to the left, barely missing the Pokémon’s dangerous attack. But suddenly, the unexpected happened. It unrolled itself and quickly turned on Froslass.

"Sand Tomb!" Anna yelled. The Sandslash raised its claws and let out a loud calling of its name. Suddenly the sand around Froslass began to swirl harshly, almost like a tornado of sand spontaneously burst from underneath her.

" _I just got the sand out of my eyes you heathen!"_ She cursed as she was harshly buffeted by the sand. Zayn's eyes widened as suddenly, the Sandslash was quickly digging a hole into the ground. It disappeared and he cursed.

" _Frost, he just used Dig. He's going to come from underneath-"_ Before he could even finish speaking, the ground under his Pokémon suddenly burst open and the Sandslash came rocketing out. It curled into a ball just before hitting her and she cried out as she was knocked up and above the arena.

"Frost!" He yelled as she reached just above the stands before falling back down. She crashed into the sand and he felt panic sweep through him, she wasn't answering him.

"Frost? _Frost!"_ He yelled. She didn't move, the Sandslash had moved back to his position in front of Anna and let out a satisfied cry and scraped its claws together.

"Did that knock her out then?" Anna asked. Gemma frowned and tried to look at the Pokémon’s face, but couldn't as it was face down in the sand and she wasn’t allowed to interact with the Pokémon during an active battle.

"I'm not sure but if she doesn't get up in ten seconds then it's a match over!" She said, Zayn felt panic sweep through him, no no no…

"Frost! Please get -" he froze, a chill suddenly ran through the arena. The Pokémon’s body suddenly began to glow a light blue. He breathed and saw his breath in front of his face.

“ _I THINK I’M DONE WITH THIS NONSENSE!”_ Froslass snarled in his head. He quickly reached into his pack and pulled out a pair of goggles.

“Goggles on!” Pikachu yelled as he reached into his little messenger bag to pull his own pair out. Lucario seemed to have sensed this was coming and already had his own on. Suddenly the entire arena was _slammed_ with an overwhelming wind. The water in the air froze and turned into snow as his glowing Pokémon slowly rose in the air, a furious look on her face.

“ _Sandslash! Dig!”_ Anna yelled. The Pokémon quickly dug another hole and disappeared into it.

“ _YOU THINK THAT WILL SAVE YOU LITTLE MAN!?_ ” She snapped. She suddenly let loose a furious cry that filled the entire arena. She exploded across the field in a burst of speed and was directly over the freshly dug hole. She raised her hands and let out another intense cry and thrust them at the hole. The Blizzard surrounding them bowed to her will and poured into the hole, sending sand flying everywhere. They all suddenly heard a terrified cry and the ground just a few feet away from Froslass exploded, Sandslash was sent rocketing into the air and was _slammed_ into the rock ceiling. The winds died, the aura around Froslass slowly disappeared. She was panting heavily, clearly a little banged up and tired but seeming ok. He looked back up just in time to see the last of the wind die and the Sandslash plummeting towards the ground. Before he hit however, a red beam of light hit his back and he was returned to his Poke Ball.

“I think this round belongs to you.” Anna laughed, giving the Froslass a smile and a nod. Froslass just let out a scoff and quickly turned her head away. She huffed though and slowly turned to give the Gym Leader a nod back before quickly turning away and floating back to Zayn.

“ _Woah!!!_ What an epic finale! Round 1 goes to Froslass and challenger Zayn Malik!” The crowd cheered for them, but Zayn noticed a few seemed none too happy as they cleaned snow off their bodies. Frost returned and he smiled weakly at her.

“You alright?”

“Tired.” She grumbled. He held up his Poke ball, but she shook her head.

"No, I want to stay out and watch...make sure these two don't screw up my hard work." She said, eyeing the other two. Pikachu scoffed at that.

" _Please_ , this'll be easy."

"Don't get overconfident." Lucario said, staring out at the field.

"Alright folks! It's time for round 2!" The crowd cheered as she held up a coin. Zayn looked over at Liam, who was already watching him and gave him a warm smile and a thumbs up. He smiled back and returned the thumbs up with his own.

"Since Gym Leader Anna lost last round, she gets to call the coin flip this round." She flipped the coin into the air.

"Tails!" The Gym Leader called out as the coin reached its peak. It quickly fell back down and into Gemma's hand.

"It's a tail!"

"I believe Zayn can summon first this time." She smiled. He chuckled weakly and nodded.

"Oh, me me me Zayn. I want to fight!" Pikachu said excitedly from his shoulder. He smiled weakly.

"Sorry buddy, but I need to save you for last...Liam said she always uses Ninetales last." He frowned.

"But Zayn-"

"No buts buddy, the rest of her Pokémon are ground and rock types…I'm sorry but you wouldn't stand too much of a chance against any of them. At least with Ninetales, you won't be at a complete disadvantage."

"10 seconds to pick Zayn!" Gemma called.

"Just trust me, Lucario is going to win this." He said, giving his blue Pokémon a smile. His quiet companion nodded before walking into the arena.

"Challenger Zayn has summoned his Lucario! How will our Gym Leaders respond!?" Gemma grinned. Anna Styles smiled as she stared at her opponent. 

"Zayn Malik…I'm afraid I'm a bit of a fool." He raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" He asked. She laughed softly.

"I want you to win so you can move on…I love your spirit; you remind me of your mother in many ways. Your sister as well for that matter...but when I fight you Malik's, I can't help but want to try my absolute best to beat you...and because of that, I am afraid that I have to change my habits." He felt his blood go cold as she pulled out her next Poke ball.

"I will use…" she tossed it into the air, it burst open…

"Ninetales!" She smiled as the Fox Pokémon appeared. He heard the surprised rumble through the audience, this was clearly something no one expected. He stared at her as she smiled sweetly at him. She knew. She knew he'd use Lucario first because he would save Pikachu for the one Pokémon, he wouldn't be at a type advantage against…

_He_ was the fool; he should have known Pikachu was never going to fight Ninetales.

"Zayn...I can win." He looked up at his Lucario, who seemed upset.

"I... won't fail." He stared at his Pokémon for a long moment before nodding, smiling at him.

"You're right...I believe in you, win this and we win the badge."

"I also believe in you Luca! Because frankly...no, no smart-ass comments from me. Kick that ancient fox’s ass!" Pikachu grinned. He nodded before taking his place.

"Right then! In a stunning twist, round two is between Challenger Zayn’s Lucario and... Gym Leader Anna's Ninetales!" The crowd cheered and Gemma grinned.

"Alright you two! The Round starts in 3...2...1... FIGHT!"

" _Aura Sphere!_ " Zayn commanded in his head. Lucario immediately pushed his hands together and began to charge a glowing blue ball of violent aura.

"Nine, use Flamethrower." Anna called. The fox's mouth began to drip fire. It thrust its head out and let out a soft cry as flames began to spew from its mouth. Zayn's eyes widened; he had seen the move flamethrower used before...but it had never looked so… _beautiful._ His mind suddenly raced back to the Ninetales Pokedex entry, something important it had told him…

_Flames spewed from its mouth can hypnotize an opponent and its gleaming red eyes are said to give it the ability to control minds._

He snapped back into reality and quickly looked at Lucario.

" _Don't stare at the flames! You'll get hypnotized!_ " Lucario didn't respond or listen though, he stopped charging the Aura Sphere and was simply staring at the flames mesmerized. The flamethrower slammed into him and he screamed in pain as he was thrown backwards and into the stone wall. The fox stopped her attack and gingerly licked her paw as Lucario slowly tried to pick himself up.

"I'm sorry dear, but I promised your Mum I wouldn't hold back…" she turned to Ninetales.

"Quick attack...three of them." The Ninetales suddenly became a blur as it exploded across the battlefield. Lucario had just stood when suddenly 9 tales were slammed into him at blinding speeds. He was thrown down into the sand and the fox dashed back before blurring forward and slamming him facedown into the sand.

" _Lucario, you got to move!_ " A third slam before the Pokémon dashed back to its spot in front of Anna.

" _Luca!_ " The Pokémon wasn't responding, Zayn felt panic rush over him. No...no he couldn't be knocked out yet…

"Lucario! Luca…" he felt overwhelming fear rush over his body.

"Oh dear! In a stunning upset, it would appear Lucario is unable to battle! Ninetales is the winner!" The crowd cheered as Pikachu flew off Zayn’s shoulder and rushed over to Lucario and began trying to help the poor wounded Pokémon up.

"If it's alright with you Zayn, I'd like to summon my next Pokémon first...I already know what you are going to use!" Anna chuckled. He didn't respond, just stared at the ground as so many things ran through his mind.

"Alright then! Since there's no objections, Gym Leader Anna can summon first for round three!" Anna smiled as she tossed a Poke ball into the air. It burst open, and Zayn looked up in shock as he felt the ground shake below him. He felt his heart stop in his chest. A massive Onix was suddenly before him.

" _No._ " He cursed out loud. Onix, the _rock type_ Pokémon. Zayn had never seen one up close, it was true how imposing their size was. He reminded Zayn of a giant snake...a giant snake made of _boulders_ but a snake none the less. The Onix let out a loud roar that shook the entire arena. The crowd was going _nuts_ at the sight of him.

What happened? What was happening? His mind swirled as he tried to comprehend what was going on. How had Luca lost? How had he lost so quickly!? And now she had an Onix out. Onix was strictly a rock type...and Pikachu was strictly electric. His Pokémon stood no chance against it.

" _I can still fight Zayn!_ It won't be easy, but do you remember that famous story about the Pikachu who beat the Onix…"

"He beat the Onix because he used the sprinkler system Pikachu! Do you see a sprinkler system!?" He snapped at him. The mouse flinched at that and it was like his mind had finally decided on what emotion to feel…

Rage, white hot rage.

"Hey, Zayn…" Gemma said, frowning.

"I won't lose here! I can't lose, do you understand that!?" He croaked out at Anna, hot tears of rage falling down his cheeks. She gave him a pity filled frown that just pissed him off more.

"There's that Malik temper…you haven't lost yet Zayn, your Pikachu-"

"Isn't fighting! You haven't given me another option...I don't…" he snarled in frustration as he slammed his foot into the ground.

"Uh...yeah, Zayn it's been 20 seconds. You need-"

"It's fine Gemma, we can look past it. Just give him a minute to calm down." Anna said to her.

"No need." She turned, surprised by the dead and defeated look on his face. He let out a shaky breath as he reached up and began undoing his necklace.

"Zayn! Don't!" Pikachu snapped, rushing over to him. He said nothing, just stared blankly as he slowly pulled the ball off the necklace.

"I'll fight! Announcer lady! I will fight!" Pikachu yelled at her. She frowned down at him.

"I'm sorry little buddy, but your trainer has to be the one to officially summon you." The Pikachu turned on his master and growled at him.

" _Zayn!_ Please-"

"Be quiet." He growled. Pikachu flinched, Lucario was next to him and awake. He looked on the verge of crying. 

"I don't know what's in there boy, but you should listen to your friends." Froslass said in a calm voice behind him.

"No…...whatever it takes." He said softly. He pressed the button and the ball expanded, the bandages falling off and onto the ground.

" _Is that_ -" Gemma started, stopping in shock as she realized she was staring at a real-life Master Ball.

" _Zayn_." The Omega froze, his sad eyes refusing to stare up at his Alpha. Liam was the one person he'd made a point to not look at during the match, in fear of distraction from his goal.

He couldn't look now, because Liam was the one person who could stop him from doing what he was about to do.

"Whatever it takes." He repeated as tears streamed down his face.

He threw the Master Ball

It stopped in midair

He just stared; confused as the Ball didn't burst open like he thought it would. In fact, gravity seemed to not be affecting it at all. It shrunk back down, his brow furrowed.

"What-"

"Celebi!" A soft voice chimed unhappily. The Master Ball slowly floated back towards Zayn and was dropped back into his hand. It was then that Celebi dropped her invisibility and revealed herself.

"Celebi?" He said, stunned.

"Celebi! Cele, Cele-bi!" She continued to talk at him, he couldn't understand her obviously but could tell she was upset.

"She ah...she says she doesn't understand what's going on, but she knows you are very upset and she doesn't like it." Froslass said, translating for him.

"She ...Celebi! No you won't-" Celebi turned on her old friend and let out a soft cry, Frost flinched at that.

"Alright, fine, whatever….she said she doesn't understand, but she knows that this is a match and that it's very important to you. So, she's going to ...go fight for you, so you'll stop being upset by the Master Ball you just almost unleashed on us." She said. He turned in shock to stare at Frost.

"What!?" He quickly turned back to Celebi.

"No, I could never-" she cut him off with her name and Frost chuckled.

"Sorry boy, when she gets like this there is no stopping her. I think you'll just have to accept it." He frowned.

"But-" Celebi fluttered out on the field and Gemma was just staring at her confused.

"Uh, alright. I don't know what the hell is going on, but it's been well past 20 seconds so are you using Mrs... Celebi as your Pokémon?"

"I…am." He said, still feeling confused and like he had emotional whiplash. 

"Where in the world did you pick up a legendary!?" Anna asked in shock, her Pokedex in her hands.

"Ah...it's a long story." He said, still feeling very emotionally confused. She smiled softly at him.

"I can't wait to hear it."

"Alright! I think these folks have waited long enough! For the final match, it's Gym Leader Anna's Onix! Vs! Challenger Zayn’s Celebi!" The crowd cheered; Zayn turned to look at Frost.

"Can...is she going to be OK…?" Frost laughed loudly at that.

"Boy, you should be celebrating...this match is already over, you've won." He blinked in shock as he turned back around to watch.

"The final round starts in 3...2...1...go!"

And then, Celebi began to sing.

His eyes widened as her soft, soothing, bell like voice chimed throughout the entire arena. He felt calming, relaxing emotions rush over his body. The Celebi was glowing with a soft green energy that seemed to slowly weave and turn around her like oil in water. She slowly fluttered up to the Onix, who was completely paralyzed by her.

"Onix! Use Rock throw!" Anna called. But it was no use, the Onix didn't seem to hear her as he let Celebi land lightly on top of his massive head. Celebi giggled and continued her song, her green energy washed over the Onix who swayed to her song. The big boulder Pokémon suddenly let out a massive yawn and slowly began to lower himself to the ground. Anna began to laugh voraciously as her Pokémon curled up and fell fast asleep. Celebi stopped her song and giggle as she tapped the Onix's head and left him fast asleep. She fluttered up to Anna and smiled as she tapped her nose and gave her a quick hug before fluttering back across the arena and landing back on Onix's sleeping head.

"Well, as fun as that was...I'm afraid the match is still going Zayn! Sleep doesn't equal a win!" Gemma said. Celebi turned to Zayn and Frost and said something.

"Uh, she wants to know if ring outs are a thing." Froslass said.

"Are ring outs a thing?" Zayn asked. Gemma blinked in surprise.

"Well...yeah, not for flying types but if any ground bound Pokémon lands in the stands then it's a ring out." Celebi let out a happy chime at this and began to sing again. The green energy around her began to seep quickly into the ground. The crowd gasped and they all watched in amazement as suddenly vines and grass began to grow and burst from the sandy ground.

"Guess the story about the Celebi making a paradise in the desert was true." Zayn said, stunned as the vines began to wrap around Onix and lift him off the ground. Anna began to laugh again as Celebi slowly pushed Onix into an empty area of the stands and very gently lowered the sleeping giant down. Celebi stopped her singing and smiled happily as she dashed around the patch of growth she created and began smelling some beautiful purple flowers she made. Gemma laughed in seemingly disbelief and struggled to say what she needed to say.

"Ah...well then folks! It would appear we have a ring out and a winner! Give a big round of applause for the winner of today's match, the Challenger Zayn Malik!" People began to cheer and clap, he began to laugh as Celebi rushed forward and gave him a sudden but welcome hug.

"Thank you! I... thank you." He said, feeling tears streak down his cheeks.

"Celebi!" She chimed happily, patting his head and giving him a quick affectionate nuzzle to his cheek. She looked over and hummed unhappily before fluttering over to the still banged up Frost.

"I'm fine, go help the Lucario first. He's in worse condition than myself." Hearing that sent Zayn into a sudden panic as he realized he hadn't been paying attention to his two best friends at all since he threw the ball. He turned, Lucario was sitting cross legged while Pikachu sat next to him and seemed to be worrying over him. He rushed over and quickly knelt.

"Luca? Buddy I-"

"I'm fine." He said, showing no emotion on his face.

"Luca-"

"You could have trusted me." Pikachu said suddenly, giving him an angry look. He huffed as fresh tears fell down his cheeks. 

"Pikachu...this isn't what you want to hear. But you weren't going to-"

"So? What's so damn important about beating some stupid record anyway? We were already ahead Zayn, all we had to do was knock the next two gyms out in a week and we would have been ahead again. But no, 'whatever it takes' right?" He flinched at that.

"I'm-"

"Sorry...yeah, and I'll forgive you eventually. But I'm mad so…just let me be...mad…" Pikachu stopped talking and huffed as Celebi floated down and began healing Lucario.

"I'm sorry I failed Zayn...I should have remembered the hypnosis effect. If I had been smarter-"

"No, Luca...it's something I should have remembered sooner. I got too obsessed with types and match-ups and I forgot to think about what my opponent could do. Your loss was on me...I'll be better, I promise you." Zayn said, grabbing his Pokémon’s hand and squeezing. Lucario smiled softly and nodded. Pikachu scoffed.

"You're way too forgiving."

"Sorry to break this up Zayn, but you still need to get your Badge." A voice said behind him. He turned and nodded at Gemma.

"Y-yeah, sorry." She just waved that off and gave him a sweet smile. She held out a hand and he took it and pulled himself up. The two walked over to the middle of the arena to meet with Anna, who was already standing there. She tsked at him.

"You should let that Celebi heal your cheek dear."

"It'll be fine in a few days." He said with a shrug. She sighed down at him.

"Well, I must say...this was one of the wildest matches I've ever gotten in my tenure as Gym Leader. You put up a good fight...but I feel like I should say something. That Master Ball…"

"I'm sorry about all of that." He said, feeling embarrassed and ashamed of his behavior.

"I don't know what you have in that thing, why it scares you so much…but it does. If you want to avoid using that Pokémon so badly...work with your team. Type match up countering isn't the only important thing in matches. I grant you; I gave you a massive challenge with Onix…" she looked up at the stands and smiled. He looked over as well and a group of young kids were smiling and laughing as they took pictures with the still completely knocked out Onix.

"But I made the mistake of thinking Pikachu was your last Pokémon. I still believe you should have trusted in him, however. You Malik's and your Pikachu's are a special breed. I think he could have found a way to win." Zayn felt a bit of shame rush over him and he nodded. She laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Buck up kid! You won! And I am proud to present _yet another_ Malik with my badge…" he went wide eyed and smiled as she held out a small case and opened it. Inside was a small metal badge. It was shaped to look like three golden boulders pressed together with a single, small ruby in the middle of them. He pulled it out and felt the urge to cry again as he opened his own case and put it in next to his other badge. 

"2 down, 6 to go." He said softly.

"And you have the potential to get them all Zayn. Just know, you have at least two people here cheering for you!" Gemma grinned. She grabbed his hand and held it up high.

"Give one more round of applause to the winner, Zayn Malik!" The crowd let out a massive cheer for him, he felt like he was floating on air. He turned, looking for his Alpha...but was surprised to see the spot where he had been sitting was empty. He looked around but couldn't find Liam anywhere.

"Looking for someone?" He felt arms suddenly hugging him from behind and he giggled as his man twirled him around before letting him down and pulling him into a kiss.

He sighed and felt his legs giving out as the exhaustion of the last 30 minutes crept over him.

"Alright?" Liam laughed, though still managed to look a bit concerned.

"I'm so tired." He mumbled. The Alpha chuckled.

"Can rest in the van love, while I drive us to the next Gym."

"Ok, guess I'll try to stay awake." He giggled. Liam laughed into his hair and Zayn felt joy fill his whole body.

He never wanted it to go away

* * *

"You guys packed up?"

"I'm not speaking to you!" Pikachu huffed angrily at him.

"Yes, we are Zayn." Lucario answered.

"Good, go ahead and take your stuff to the van then. Liam said Blaziken is out there and will show you where to put stuff." Luca nodded and ignored the angry look Pikachu was giving him. He smiled as Celebi pulled away from his face and the glow disappeared.

"Celebi!" She said happily.

"All better." Froslass supplied.

"Thank you, but just know I only let you heal me because that's what you wanted for winning me the match today. I don't want you to tire yourself out over me." He said. Celebi just giggled and rolled her eyes at him, making him laughed. She let out a massive yawn suddenly and tiredly fluttered over to the desk and tapped her Poke Ball.

"Ok, you rest up Celebi...and thank you." She just smiled at him and gave his cheek a quick nuzzle before he returned her to the ball.

"So, boy...you got your wish, you won. You're welcome by the way." Frost said suddenly. He turned on her and smiled weakly.

"Thank you Frost, you put in a lot of effort for me...and you trusted me."

"Yes, well... you're not so bad, even though you make silly mistakes a woman would never make. But it's not your fault you were born with male... anatomy. I don't hold it against you." He laughed awkwardly.

"Ah...thank you, Frost."

"...you're welcome." She looked away for a moment before huffing and turning back.

"So... if Celebi hadn't stopped you today, how would that match have gone?" He froze.

“I- “

“Have no idea, I’m well aware…” she sighed and looked him up and down.

“Just tell me…please, what is it?”

“I…don’t know.” She nodded.

“Alright…just be careful Zayn, I’m willing to trust you now. I trust you know what your doing with your…monster.” He nodded back and she sighed.

“Now if you don’t mind…I’d like to return to my ball. I’m tired.” He smiled and returned her to the ball. He sighed and took a slow look around the hotel room. He thinks he’s going to miss this place.

“We can always come back you know, take a vacation down here. Plenty to see.” He smiled softly and turned, the Alpha was standing in the doorway and giving him a fond look.

“I think I’d like that…as long as you’re with me.”

“Well duh, I did say we.” Liam grinned. He strolled casually up to Zayn and pulled him into a deep kiss. The Omega sighed into it and pulled slowly back.

“Liam…we need to talk about…what happened in the arena, with the ah…Master Ball...”

“Darling…before you start, I just want to say something about that.” Zayn nodded up at him and he sighed before starting.

“When I was just starting out on my journey, I had 4 Pokémon with me. I had Torchic, he was given to me by Professor Pine in my hometown. I had Aron, a gift from my father…” he paused before continuing.

“Eevee, a gift from my mother. And finally, well, my own mystery Pokémon. “Zayn raised an eyebrow at that, and the Alpha chuckled.

“Yeah, I have secret Pokémon of my own babe. Another gift, this time from both my parents. A very strong Pokémon that I couldn’t use because she didn’t want to listen to a word I said. She was violent, temperamental, a complete hot head…but after weeks and weeks of trying, I managed to establish a dialogue. We came to understand each other…” Zayn just blinked and cocked his head.

“…are you telling me I should try talking to it?” he smiled softly.

“I know it can be difficult, but it can’t hurt to- “

“Liam…I know you want to help, but you _really_ don’t understand…” he huffed and pulled away from him. He pulled on his hair and sighed.

“I don’t know where to even begin…”

“How about the beginning, maybe tell me how you met this Pokémon?” The Omega bit his lip and rubbed his arm nervously.

“It...”

“Knock knock! I’m sorry, am I interrupting?” They both turned, Anna and Gemma were standing by the door looking like two people who were afraid they just walked in on a private moment.

“Not at all…” Zayn grabbed his Alphas hand and smiled softly up at him.

“I’ll tell you during the drive…I’ll tell you everything.”

“Ok.” Liam said, squeezing his hand.

“Aww, aren’t they just precious Mum?”

“They are! My little Liam, being a proper Alpha…oh Yaser and Tricia would just be so delighted!” Zayn laughed a bit awkwardly at the mention of his parents.

“Well, I know you are heading out soon. But Zayn…I was hoping we could have a private chat. I promise I won’t take up too much time just a couple minutes…”

“Of course, Mrs. Styles!” Zayn said in surprise. She smiled at him and gestured to the hallway.

“Let’s head to my office, it’s by the entrance and you can head right out when we’re done.”

“Sounds perfect.” They left the room (not before Zayn gave Liam’s hand a squeeze and a quick kiss to his cheek), leaving Gemma and Liam alone. Gemma sighed and gave him an odd look.

“What?” he asked, still smiling like an idiot at Zayn’s show of affection.

“I need to show you something.” She said with a very serious look on her face. He frowned.

“Alright.” A minute later, they were in the small security office of the inn. A small little dark box with a computer in it and a large TV that showed all the camera feeds. Gemma was slowly fast forwarding a disk of last night’s security footage on the computer.

“Couldn’t help yourself huh?” Liam said, no emotion in his voice. The other Alpha shrugged.

“Look, I get wanting to just forget about it…but that kind of thing does not sit right with me. Our guests need to be safe…what if this guy strikes again yeah? At least, that was before I figured out – “

“He was lying.” Liam said softly. She looked up at him and frowned.

“You knew?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what actually happened though.”

“Well…you’re not going to like this.” She stopped the disk and hit play. Liam was watching the front of the inn. His eyes widened as a van pulled up to the front…the destroyed van from this morning. He watched as a blond woman got out and the van quickly peeled away. He watched her move slowly towards the front door as she seemed to be fixing her lipstick. He watched her put that away then pull out a walkie talkie from her small clutch purse. She said something but unfortunately the video didn’t seem to have audio. He felt his heart drop as suddenly, the front door of the inn opened...and out walked Zayn. But suddenly, the video cut out.

“I think her buddies must have started messing with our cameras somehow. We have no footage on any of the cameras for a solid 5 minutes…” he growled.

“Fuck…but I don’t understand. They had him…how did he get away?” she said nothing at first, just fast forwarded.

“Cameras did eventually come back…but…” the camera feed came back but was filled with static. He could barely make out the front of the inn. Suddenly, a flash of light that sent a chill down his spine and Zayn could _just_ be made out standing where the flash came from. He strained his eyes; the Omega was looking up at something, but he couldn’t make it out, the video quality was just too bad.

He thought he saw the faintest hint of a tail but couldn’t be positive. Zayn said something and whatever he was talking to was returned to his Master Ball. As soon as it was returned, the camera feed became normal again and Zayn was alone. She flipped off the video and sighed.

“He just walks in after that and that’s the end of it…” she slowly turned to look up at him.

“Any clue what that flash of light was L- “she stopped when she saw his face, wide eyes and looking very pale.

“Liam?”

“Gemma…I’m going to have to take this disk.” She raised an eyebrow.

“What? I mean, why- “

“Gemma, this…it’ll be better for you if you just forget about all of this alright?” she scoffed.

“Now I’m definitely not giving it to you.” He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his noise.

“Alright…then I need to tell you something and I hope it’s enough to get you to give me that disk.”

* * *

“You did well Zayn, you should be proud.” He smiled softly across the desk at her.

“Thank you.” Her office was small, square, and mostly taken up by her big wooden desk and large wooden bookshelf against the wood wall. She also had a large metal safe that was pushed up against the back of the wall behind her. The room reminded Zayn of his mothers back home just without the bay window and a lot more little knick knacks and pictures.

“I didn’t just call you in to praise you though. Your mother gave me something the last time we met up…she told me I was to give it to you if you managed to beat me.” He stared at her as if she’d grown three heads.

“Really? My mother…for me?” she smiled weakly at him.

“I know she wasn’t …the kindest Zayn. After…her Pikachu died, she just wasn’t the same. But I do know that she cares Zayn...in her own way.” She pulled out a small wrapped box and handed it to him. It was black with a little yellow bow on it. He unwrapped the bow and slowly opened it. The contents however, confused him. It was a small, silver key with a small folded note sitting next to it. He pulled out the key, saying nothing as he looked it over. He pocketed it before unfolding the letter and reading it to himself.

Anna frowned, she’d hoped the boy would be more excited to receive this gift…but he seemed more confused and upset more than anything.

“Thank you, Mrs. Styles, I really do appreciate this.” He said with a weak smile.

“You…are welcome.” She chuckled. She supposed in the end, it wasn’t any of her business…Malik’s, crazy the whole lot of them. She stood to lead him out of the room. The Gym Leader smiled warmly and patted his back.

“Off with you then, to Paradise Falls next right?”

“Right.” Zayn said, seeming to cheer up a little bit. She smiled and opened the door for him.

“If I could give you a piece of advice? I haven’t met the new Gym Leader of Paradise Falls, but I know his Gym revolves around grass and poison type Pokémon. I suggest you add a fire type to your roster before you take him on. And beware poison attacks…they could very easily cost you a win, I’d stock up on antidotes.” Zayn nodded seriously.

“Thank you for the advice ma'am.”

“Zayn, like I told your sister when she came through all those years ago…call me Anna.” She smirked.

“Yes Mrs. Anna.” He smiled. She laughed as they walked into the main foyer of the inn and pulled him into a hug.

“Good luck Zayn Malik…I look forward to watching you take on the Elite Four on my television.” She laughed suddenly before continuing.

“Hell, I may take the trip down to watch you in person! I still regret not getting to see your sisters attempt in person. Her fight against Geoff was incredible to see on the television I can’t imagine how it would have been in person.” Zayn laughed at that as they pulled apart.

“Liam! When this boy makes it to the Elite Four, you better call me and let me know so I can come down and watch!” Zayn turned and smiled, the Alpha and Gemma were waiting nearby watching the two of them say goodbye.

“Of course, Anna! I’ll pay for your plane tickets myself.” He grinned. She snorted at that.

“I can take care of my own damn expenses you do gooder.” He did his trademark crinkly eyed smile and moved forward to give her a hug.

“You need to come visit more often…though I know how busy you are.” They pulled apart and he nodded.

“I’ll visit again soon Anna, I promise.”

“ _We’ll_ visit again soon you mean! You better bring Zayn or I’m charging you double for a room!” he just gaped at that as Gemma and Zayn laughed. Gemma walked over and gave Zayn a firm handshake.

“Well, it was fun Zayn. I wish we could have gotten to know each other a bit better but I don’t want to stop you from your goal by taking up any more time. All I’ll say man…is good luck.” He smiled warmly at that and nodded.

“Thank you, Gemma.”

“And if you see my brother Harry, tell him to call his damn mother! I know he’s all caught up in some new Alpha that he fancies…but it’s no excuse to not call and check in. Mum gets worried about him.” she frowned. He laughed and nodded.

“I’ll make sure to tell him.” He turned and found his Alpha smiling at him.

“You ready?” Liam asked. The Omega smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, I think I am.” They left and soon were back in the van. Anna and her daughter waved at them as they pulled out and began to make their way down the Pass.

“It’s a 3-hour drive through the Pass before we get to Route 10…” Liam smiled as the Omega let out a massive yawn.

“Why don’t you rest love? You seem tired…” he frowned.

“I am…but I wanted to talk about stuff…”

“To be honest babe, the Pass gets a bit rocky and rough from what I remember. I’m going to need to really pay attention to the road and won’t be able to give you my full attention…” he smiled at the boy and reached out to brush his knuckles over the boys cheek, who hummed and leaned into his touch.

“It’s OK love, I promise we’ll talk soon.”

“Ok, I’ll just nap then…” Liam waited patiently until he heard the Omegas soft snores fill the front of the van. He reached a turn and found himself at a small intersection with a red stop light. After this light, it was a 5-minute drive and he’d officially be out of Desert Town and in the Pass, where internet connection was going to get very spotty…

He turned, having time to look off the road because of the red light, and found Zayn's two companions fast asleep. He blinked in surprise however, to find Incineroar also passed out. He’d known the cat Pokémon for a long time now and he wasn’t much of a napper. He was also surprised to find that he was letting Lucario lean his head against his arm like a pillow. He chuckled when he saw the Pikachu upside down in his seat with his legs in the air as he was completely knocked out. Thankfully, the one Pokémon who needed to be awake, was. Blaziken had a small headset on his head and he was typing away at Liam’s computer.

“Hey, Blaze.” He said in a soft voice so as not to wake anyone.

“Yes Liam?” he replied. Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small disk.

“Catch.” He skillfully tossed it back to him and the Pokémon easily caught it.

“Upload that and send it to Professor Pine and Niall. Let them know where we’re heading and that I might need Niall to take a bit of a vacation and come join us.” Blaziken didn’t respond right away, Liam had to look back forward as his light turned green.

“…is it that serious?” the Pokémon suddenly asked.

“Not yet…but the potential is there.” He felt his whole body get a chill as he turned to look at Zayn. He could see the chain, but the object on it was hidden. He huffed; he couldn’t believe what a fool he was…he couldn’t believe he didn’t put it together sooner.

“Let them know…I know what happened to the monster in the cave.”

**End of Book 1**

**Who's that Pokemon?!**

Geodude (I know he wasn't physically seen but I did mention him a bunch and the statues of him so you know, figured he deserved a shout-out)

Sandslash

Onix!


	5. Book II: The Clash of Paradise Falls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I want to again say a big thank you to everyone reading and leaving kudos, I really appreciate it! This chapter is a bit shorter than normal but that's ok I think, I'm already working on the next one. I hope everyone stays healthy and happy during these trying times, love you all and enjoy!

**Book II - The Clash of Paradise Falls**

**Chapter 1: The Sleeping Giant**

**???**

He was panting heavily, his body trying hard to regain the breath that was just being choked out of him. He stared at the shaking, still blinking Master Ball in his hand. It was three clicks, then the Pokémon was caught. That was the deal.

It was on click number 16 and _still going_

" _Zayn…just leave it, we got to get out of here!_ " His friends voice was far away, like a distant dream as he stayed frozen.

It was a Master Ball, it couldn't fail...could it? His Pikachu ran up and shook his arm violently.

" _Zayn_."

_Click, click, click………..._

They both froze as it shrank in his hand and stopped clicking.

It took 27 clicks before the monster was caught. Pikachu grabbed his arm.

"Zayn...that's great and all, but Luca is in _bad_ shape. We need to get him to a Pokecenter! _Now!_ " He slowly shook his head and nodded.

"Ok...ok yeah…" he stood and ran over to his friend.

**Present**

"You must be joking."

"I'm afraid I'm not."

"But...but that's such bullshit! You're a ghost and ice type, how-" 

"Celebi taught me." Froslass scoffed.

"Celebi!" The little green pixie seemed to confirm with a happy chime.

"But...that's my move!" He growled. She rolled her eyes.

"It's one of the most standard moves ever, it's not that big of a deal." 

"Prove it."

"Prove what?"

"Prove you can do the damn move!"

"Pikachu, we are _in a van._ " Zayn piped in from the front. He scoffed.

" _Whatever…_ " Zayn sighed as Liam chuckled next to him.

"What are they arguing about?" He asked as he tangled his right hand up in Zayn’s. The boy blushed as he squeezed the hand.

They had made it through the Pass in two days and were officially out of the desert. Nothing really of note had happened in that time...including their talk. The two hadn't had the talk about the Master Ball, or the monster. Zayn wasn't entirely sure why; he figured the Alpha was waiting for him and didn't want to push. And the Omega appreciated it and had been resolved to talk to him about it...but...every time he tried to bring it up, he backed out.

He hadn't talked about it with anyone before, he feared how the Alpha might react…

He'd only been with the Alpha for a few days now but for Zayn, it felt like he'd known the man for so much longer. He had come to kind of adore the Alpha and was terrified he might ruin their blossoming romance by telling him about it…

Because what if Liam wanted him to get rid of it? He _couldn't_ get rid of it, not yet, not until he breaks his Mother's record.

But he didn't want to think about having to let Liam go either, it hurt too much.

"Froslass says she can use Thunderbolt; Pikachu is calling bullshit on it." He laughed.

"I didn't know Froslass could use that." Zayn shrugged.

"Pokedex says it's possible, it just has to be taught to her it's not something she'd learn naturally."

" _Oh whatever_.” Pikachu scoffed angrily. The Omega chuckled and put the Pokedex away. He played with the Alphas hand in-between his own. The Omega smiled as they reached a stop sign and a big group of people crossed across the street on bikes, followed by what looked like a herd of Tauros.

"Ever seen Tauros before?" Liam asked. Zayn smiled.

"Yeah, my Dad has one." He nodded and smirked.

"This is the only area in the region you'll see them commonly, figured I'd mention it in-case you hadn't gotten one before." Zayn smiled again.

"I figured, thank you Leeyum." The Alpha nodded and squeezed his hand as he continued to drive forward as the last 'Wild Bull' Pokémon passed.

"We're almost at the Seedling Forest. Keep an eye to your right." The Alpha smiled. Zayn nodded and looked out the window to his right. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped as they passed by a rock wall and over a large metal bridge.

"Oh...wow." he said. The Seedling Forest was massive. Beautiful green trees almost as far as the eye can see and a large river running through it. Zayn could see a large stone mountain and a massive waterfall far off into the Forest. 

"See the waterfall? That's where Paradise Falls is...and your next Gym babe." He said with a smile.

"It's beautiful." Zayn said with a smile.

"Celebi!!!" The little pixie fluttered up front and pressed herself against Zayn’s window, looking out at the forest in excitement.

They crossed the bridge and soon Zayn’s view was blocked by the stone walls on either side of the route they were on. He chuckled as Celebi let out a disappointed chime and he patted her head.

"It's alright Celebi, we are going to be in that forest before the day is out and we can explore for a while if you want." She let out a happy call of her name and happily hugged his neck before fluttering her way back to the back seat. Liam chuckled at this and went to say something but froze and was suddenly hitting the breaks a bit hard. They quickly slowed and the Alpha and Omega both frowned.

"What's going on?" Zayn asked. They had made it down to the end of the route, but suddenly their path had become blocked by a _ton_ of traffic. The line of cars seemingly went on for a while. There were people sitting outside there's cars smoking and talking, so Zayn had the feeling they had all been waiting for a while. 

"Don’t know, stay here love." He said, squeezing Zayn's hand before letting go and putting the van in park. He got out and approached an older looking man smoking a cigar and seemingly playing a game of checkers with his Bulbasaur on the hood of his truck.

"Why did we stop?" Lucario suddenly asked. He turned, all his Pokémon and Liam's Incineroar and Blaziken were looking at him curiously and Zayn just shrugged.

"There's a line of traffic, have no clue why." He jumped a little when Liam's door suddenly opened, and the Alpha was frowning at him.

"Apparently there's a Pokémon blocking the bridge into the forest." Zayn frowned back.

"What? Can't we all just go around?" Liam shook his head.

"Unfortunately, that bridge is the only way into the forest for miles. There's another bridge...but we'd be taking a pretty big detour, we'd have to go back the way we came and it's going to add at least a day to our trip." Zayn frowned.

"Can no one move the Pokémon?" Liam shrugged.

"I guess not...Mr. Jenkins over there said that they contacted the Gym Leader for help, but it's been almost 3 hours and he hasn't shown yet." Zayn smirked.

"Well...you and I are capable trainers. Maybe we can get it to move?" Liam smirked.

"You read my mind babe." Zayn smirked back at his friends.

"Alright guys, let's go see if we can't help out."

"Better than sitting in this van for hours I suppose." Pikachu said, giving a big stretch. They all exited the van except for Celebi.

"Are you not coming Celebi?" Zayn asked. She let out a massive yawn and waved her hand as she grabbed a small blanket and wrapped herself up in it like a cocoon.

"She needs to sleep." Froslass said in a serious tone. He shrugged.

"Alright, stay safe then Cel...." He stopped and smiled softly as he realized the little green Pokémon was already passed out.

"Blaze, mind staying here to watch the van and Celebi?" Liam asked. Blaziken just nodded silently before deftly jumping up onto the roof of the van and crossing his legs to seemingly begin meditating. They all began walking down the road and past the line of cars and trucks with people and Pokémon sitting outside of them. Zayn blinked in surprise as they passed two younger looking girls and their Pokémon (a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur) which seemed to be in rough shape. One of the girls, a cute black girl with cool looking bright red dreads and a septum piercing, stopped upon seeing them and gave them a concerned look.

"You two heading down to fight him?" They both stopped and gave her a surprised look.

"Sorry, fight?" She frowned.

"Oh, y'all just got here huh? Word of advice, I'd just wait for Gym Leader Shawn to show up...that rude fat ass Pokémon is a lot tougher than you'd think he'd be." 

"Fat ass...oh no, please don't tell me it's a -" Liam started.

"Yup, it's exactly what you think it is. He's taken over Honeydew Bridge and is demanding a toll of 50 fucking pounds of food or he will just knock you off the bridge and not let you pass." Liam sighed heavily.

"Great...thanks for the heads-up." She looked the group up and down and nodded.

"You guys look tough, if you decide to try to fight him...good luck." The girls continued back up to their cars and Liam sighed as Zayn gave him a curious look.

"What's wrong? What Pokémon is it?" He sighed heavily.

"You'll...see in a minute babe." They continued down the path, taking one final turn and soon found a large crowd of people had gathered in front of the bridge. His eyes widened in surprise. Sitting on the other side of the bridge, completely taking up as much space as possible, was a Snorlax.

"Oh my Arceus, it's a fucking Snorlax." Froslass said in dismay.

"I was afraid of that." Liam sighed. Not knowing much about the fat Pokémon, Zayn pulled out his Pokedex and quickly scanned him.

_Snorlax (Japanese:_ _カビゴン Kabigon) is a Normal-type Pokémon. They are a huge, bipedal, dark blue-green Pokémon with a cream-colored face, belly, and feet. Its body is composed of mostly its belly, as its limbs are comparatively small. Its head is large with small, pointed ears and two pointed teeth protruding from its lower jaw. It has round feet, which both have three claws and a circular brown paw pad, and short arms with five claws on each hand. Snorlax's bulk makes it the heaviest Normal type._

_Snorlax is often found in mountains and forests. It wakes up only to eat, requiring 900 lbs. (400 kg) of food per day before returning to its slumber. It is not a picky eater, as its strong stomach allows it to eat even moldy food without feeling any ill effects. It can even handle thorny plants or poison, which are nothing more than spicing to the Pokémon. Snorlax is docile enough to let children and small Pokémon bounce on its large stomach without seeming to notice or care. Sometimes it will even fall back asleep in the middle of eating...and then continue to eat!_

"900 pounds, goodness what a fat Pokémon." Pikachu commented. Zayn's eyes were wide as one part of that Pokedex entry stuck out to him.

"I need to catch that Pokémon." Zayn suddenly said. Everyone turned on him as if he'd said something completely insane.

"Uh...come again?" Pikachu said in a confused tone.

"Mrs. Styles said the next Gym Leader uses grass and poison types...and assuming the Pokedex is correct, poison is going to be worthless against him."

"Babe, Snorlax...are a handful. You sure you want him?" Liam frowned. He looked up at the Alpha and nodded confidently. The man smiled down at him and nodded.

"Alright then, let's catch you a Snorlax."

"I think you two will have to wait." Pikachu said suddenly. They all turned; they could see a middle-aged Japanese man. His hair was short, military cut, and jet black but white sprinkled throughout. Walking next to him was what appeared to be a Machamp. Liam laughed suddenly and Zayn looked up in surprise.

"What?" He just chuckled and shook his head.

"Ah, nothing love. Got Machamp in your Pokedex?" Liam asked as they all began making their way down to the bridge to join the watching crowd.

"Nope, I'll scan him in a second...should I be worried about losing my Snorlax?" He asked as he slowly re-pulled the Pokedex from his pocket.

"I mean, really just depends on how strong they both are. Could see either one winning this." He chuckled. They got down to the crowd and slowly made their way to the front. He held onto Liam's hand the entire time.

"Snorlax! No one here is going to give you food! Move on!" The man yelled. Snorlax didn't seem to react to this at first. It was lying on its back as if resting, Zayn almost wondered if it did fall asleep.

"Mr. Kaneda sir, I don't think it's awake!" Someone in the crowd yelled. He turned and frowned.

"Well then, does anyone have a way to wake the brute up?"

"I have a flute I can play! I could play it really loudly!" A little boy on his father's shoulder said excitedly. The crowd chuckled at this and this Mr. Kaneda man laughed as well.

"Thank you for the offer little one, but I doubt that will make this brute even stir. Anyone e-" his words caught in his throat as he suddenly looked over at the pair and froze.

"Liam? Liam Payne? Is that you?" Zayn blinked in surprise as suddenly all eyes were on them. Liam laughed loudly and strolled forward, letting go of Zayn's hand. The Omega was caught off guard as his Alpha suddenly seemed to greet the man in (at least to Zayn’s ears) perfect sounding Japanese. Mr. Kaneda returned the greeting and laughed loudly as he met Liam halfway and pulled him into a hug.

"You still stick to my training diligently I see!" The old Alpha laughed as he squeezed one of Liam's biceps, making him flush in embarrassment but laugh as well.

"Of course, sir! Every day when I can."

"Good! Good, that makes me very happy!" He chuckled.

" _Dude, he's so fucking hot._ " Zayn tried to ignore his twinge of annoyance. He got distracted from the two men's conversation as a couple Omega girls a little older than him whispered to each other just a few feet away. He heard Pikachu snicker on his shoulder, and he flicked the Pokémon's tail, who just snickered harder.

"Everyone! This is Liam Payne, a former challenger from my tenure as Gym Leader! He bested me like no other and I consider him one of my best students!" He looked at Liam and suddenly smirked.

"He's also going to take care of this Snorlax for us!" Liam blinked down at him in surprise as the crowd let out a variety of surprised noises and started clapping.

"Ah, actually…" he started awkwardly.

"Come now, I haven't seen you in two years! I want to see how much you've grown." The man grinned. He frowned.

"Well, actually, my Omega wanted to catch this Snorlax is all." He blinked in surprise.

"Oh?"

" _Pfft, like some Omega is going to do anything_." Zayn heard some old Alpha grumble under his breath. Zayn turned and gave the man a dirty look, who looked at him in surprise.

"Just watch then." He turned on his Pokémon, who also looked pissed off now.

"Let's go." They all nodded, he tried to hide his smirk as Lucario pushed past the man roughly, Pikachu turned and stuck his tongue out, and Froslass got the win for getting very close to him and licking her lips as she gave him a threatening glare. The man flinched away as Zayn made his way up to Liam. Zayn cracked his neck as he approached, Liam looked surprised by his pissed off look, but Mr. Kaneda just laughed.

"My! I like that fire in your eyes." He held out his hand and Zayn shook it.

"Oda Kaneda."

"Zayn Malik." He said. Mr. Kaneda's eyes widened in surprise and Zayn could hear people in the crowd murmuring at that.

"Malik? Are you one of Yaser and Tricia's kids perhaps?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm their-"

"Second oldest yes? Your sister Doniya mentioned you when she came through for her badge...you know your sister holds the _honor_ of being my last official Gym match before I retired last year!" Zayn laughed softly at that.

"Really? I didn't know that." The old man let out a fake hurt noise and grabbed his heart in a very over the top way.

"Oh, I'm wounded! I would have thought your sister would have mentioned that, it was a very memorable day for me!" Zayn laughed awkwardly and rubbed the side of his head.

"S-sorry sir…" the man snickered and gently patted his shoulder.

"I'm just teasing you; I hear she is a very busy woman nowadays. The Elite Four, I'm so proud of her. She was an excellent student." Zayn smiled at that.

"Yeah, I'm sure she was."

"But it's no surprise to me, I'm sure dear Tricia trained you both well. Your mother...It still makes me wonder why she never tried to fight the Elite Four, she could have easily become the Champion…" Zayn almost responded but held back because saying 'she got pregnant with me and never let me forget it' probably wasn't the best way to respond. 

"Anyway, I've chatted you both up long enough and these people have been waiting a while before I showed up. We will speak after, good luck!" He said, patting his shoulder again. He moved past the two of them and Zayn huffed and cracked his fingers.

"You alright?" Liam asked suddenly. He looked up at the Alphas concerned face and just nodded.

"Fine."

"Seem upset is all...think you can handle this? This isn't a match or anything so we can team up if you want." He smiled softly at the Alpha.

"Thank you, Lee...but if that's going to be my Pokémon, _I_ need to be the one to beat it…" he smiled however and looked at his three Pokémon.

"Though, you are right...there aren't any official rules or anything." Pikachu smirked.

"Oh, I've read about this on the Pokeweb. Humans call this an orgy! When multiple people come together to fight?" Zayn cringed at that as Liam snickered behind him.

"Ah...buddy no, that's not what that is."

"They get together and have intercourse Pikachu, not fighting." They all turned to stare at Froslass in horror, who just shrugged.

"What? I know what you filthy men do to women at these things. If it was up to me, a group of beautiful women and a single, sexy man would be a much better way to do it."

"Please, can we not talk about this right now?!" Zayn huffed, internally wishing Arceus would open the ground beneath him and take him far away from this conversation.

" _Any time now!_ " Someone in the crowd yelled.

"Be quiet and patient! They are clearly coming up with a strategy!" Mr. Kaneda yelled back. He turned and gave him a smile and a thumbs up. He smiled weakly back and turned back to his Pokémon.

"Right...let's just...see if we can wake it up and go from there?"

"I got this." Pikachu said suddenly. He jumped off Zayn's shoulder and slowly started making his way over to the sleeping Pokémon.

"What are you doing Pikachu?" The Omega said, cautiously looking up at the sleeping giant.

"I'm just going to shock it! How would that _not_ work?" He laughed. Zayn tried to ignore the sudden chatter behind him at his Pikachu's use of the human language and focused on said mouse as he got halfway across the bridge.

"When he fails, feel free to let me go shock the big oaf. I'm sure my thunderbolt will be much more suited for waking it up." Froslass suddenly said next to him. Zayn looked at her.

"Why are you so hard on him?" She scoffed and covered her mouth as she dramatically looked away from him (he tried and managed to succeed in not rolling his eyes at this).

"He's very full of himself, the little man beastie."

"And you're not?" Lucario piped in. She gave him a threatening glare as Zayn just chuckled.

"Hey you! Wake up!" Pikachu yelled. The Snorlax didn't even budge, it just continued to snore rather loudly. 

"Alright then…" his cheeks sparked and suddenly a bolt of thunder was exploding from his body and crashing down into the Snorlax. 

" _Pretty!_ " Zayn smiled as he heard the little boy from earlier start clapping. Pikachu stopped, the Snorlax... didn't budge.

"... seriously!?" His Pokémon cried.

"Not too surprising, Snorlax are... resilient sleepers." Liam chuckled weakly.

"Alright... Froslass, why don't you go help him?" She glared at the Omega for a second before scoffing and slowly floating towards Pikachu.

"Honestly, can't even do _this_ correctly…"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Pikachu grumbled as the Pokémon approached. The ghost snickered.

"I have to come help you, your Thunderbolts are too weak." He growled at that, his red cheeks glowed softly, and electricity sparked.

"Nice, Pikachu’s fired up. This'll have to work." Zayn said with confidence. Lucario hummed his agreement and Liam chuckled behind him.

"If it doesn't...mind if I go wake him up for you babe?" Zayn blushed and looked up at him.

"Ok...but promise you leave the fight to me." Liam smiled and crossed his heart. Zayn quickly turned when he heard his yellow friend let out a shout of his name and another bolt of lightning burst from his body. Froslass let out a short cry as electricity burst from her body as well and joined in with Pikachu to shock the sleeping giant.

"Huh, guess she can do it. Neat." Liam said, pulling out his Pokedex to take a picture. This continued for a solid minute before both Pokémon stopped, seeming tired.

"What?! Seriously!!??" Pikachu sighed loudly.

"Geez, even for a Snorlax...this one's a heavy sleeper I guess." Liam shrugged. Zayn frowned, that Snorlax was being...very still.

"Uh, hey Luca...can you go make sure the Snorlax is alive?" Zayn asked softly. Luca nodded and began walking forward.

"I doubt you killed it babe…" Liam chuckled.

"I mean...it's not really moving, though." Zayn said with a shrug. Lucario strolled past the tired pair of Pokémon.

"What the heck are you doing Luca? You can't use Thunderbolt!" Lucario ignored his yellow friend and approached the Snorlax from the side. He stood over what was probably its head (Zayn couldn't see it behind the Pokémon's mound of fat) and stared down. Suddenly, Lucario's leg shot forward and he gave the Pokémon a sharp kick. Zayn blinked in surprise as he heard a loud groan at the action and the Snorlax's hand slowly rose and swatted at Lucario, who easily took a step back and dodged the 'attack'.

"Well, at least it's not dead." Zayn muttered. Lucario looked over at Zayn and shrugged.

"I think those two knocked it out." The Omega blinked in surprise.

"Wait really?" Lucario nodded.

"I think so."

"Oh…"

"What?" Liam asked. He turned and shrugged.

"Well... apparently we knocked it out." His eyes widened before letting out a laugh.

"He knocked it out!" Liam chuckled over to Mr. Kaneda. The man let out a hearty laugh as the crowd started to clap for Zayn.

"All that's left is to catch it babe." Liam smiled down at him. Zayn nodded and smirked as he reached into his bag and pulled out the perfect ball for the situation.

In this world, there were a huge variety of Poke Balls that are specialized and made for specific purposes. All balls are made with the same base materials, but the effects and chance of success will change when you put in the 'core' ingredient. For example, the ball Zayn was about to use was called a Heavy Ball. It was a gift from his sister Doniya on his 19th birthday, a friend of hers named Kurt made it using a small iron ball as the core. The name is apt, as the Ball has the best success chance when trying to catch very heavy Pokémon. And well...Snorlax certainly fits the bill. 

Zayn pulled it out and grunted, forgetting that the small ball somehow managed to weigh 30 pounds. He clicked it to expand and then tossed the ball, it arced then smacked into the giant's stomach before pulling the mass of fat into the ball. 

click

click

click

The Poke ball let out a small chime and immediately shrunk down, indicating a successful capture. He grinned and pumped his arm in the air as his Pokedex chimed to let him know of the new entry in his Pokedex.

"Yes!" Liam grinned and pulled the boy close so he could kiss his temple.

"Good job love...though I have to admit, that match was a bit more anti-climactic than I thought it would be."

"Yeah, same." Zayn giggled with a shrug. He certainly wasn't complaining, the quicker the better.

"Alright folks! Bridge is clear, back to your cars!" Mr. Kaneda yelled as the crowd started to disperse. The man turned and approached the two of them with a grin. 

"Well, that Snorlax was a terror before you two showed up, I can't believe you caught it so easily!" Zayn laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, yeah thank you." He grinned.

"So, young Malik...I know this troublemaker already had his badge...can I assume you are here for yours?" Zayn nodded and he tsked.

"Damn that is a shame, you Malik's always give the best fights but I'm no longer the Gym Leader…" he grinned suddenly.

"But my protege has yet to fight a Malik, this will be a good test for him as Gym Leader!"

"Ah, I haven't met him yet. Shawn, right?”

“Shawn Mendes, very talented kid I’m sure you’ll both like him.” He turned to look at the cars before turning back and nodding.

“I’ll see you both in Paradise Falls…how about we meet at my dojo? I’ll have Shawn come over so you can meet, poor boy is busy today and I’m sure he’ll want a break.”

“Ah, was wondering why you were out here and not the new Gym Leader.” Liam chuckled. He smirked.

“I still do good work around here; retirement gets very boring when you don’t have things to do.” He waved as he walked off towards his car. Zayn and Liam began making their way back to the van. Lucario and his other two friends quickly joined up with them. Zayn smiled down at the Heavy ball as his Lucario handed it to him.

“Congrats babe, we’ll have to get him to the Pokecenter in Paradise Falls so you can try to talk to him.” Liam smiled. Zayn smiled back and nodded.

“Yeah…and you know, we are making really good time. We can spend a little extra time here…” Zayn blushed as they approached the van and stopped talking. Liam gave him a curious look.  
“Babe?”

“Ah…we’ll talk in the van.” He said, eyeing his Pokémon. Liam nodded seriously as they all got in and started the van back up. Blaziken jumped back in an said something, Liam smirked.

“Went fine Blaze, Zayn caught a Snorlax.” The flame bird turned on Zayn and gave him a simple nod.

“Ah, thank you Blaze.” Zayn smiled. The cars started to move again and finally they were off. Zayn waited until it sounded like his Pokémon had gotten into various conversations before speaking quietly to Liam.

“H-hey, Liam…” hearing the boy’s nervous tone, the Alpha immediately reached over and grabbed Zayn’s hand.

“What’s wrong love?” He blushed and played with the man’s hand.

“S-so um…I know that we haven’t known each other that long, just a couple days…b-but um, I sort of…” he huffed and shook his head, he hated how nervous he was in that moment.

“Zayn?”

“I was hoping you’d…take care of me during my heat. I-I have one…I should have one t-tomorrow actually…” He felt the Alpha’s hand squeeze down almost painfully and let out a low chuckle that made electricity roll through his body.

“Baby…baby boy…” Zayn finally got the courage to look up at the Alpha’s face. The man had large grin on his face. He had to break the car but, in that moment, his eyes turned on Zayn and the boy felt goosebumps breakout on his arms as the man gave him a very heavy, lust filled look.

“I’ll take good care of you baby, I promise.”

**Who's that Pokémon?**

Snorlax!

**Pokeball Highlight Corner!**

****

Regular Poke Ball!

Great Ball!

Master Ball!

Heavy Ball!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to wait to put Machamp in the whos that pokemon section because (spoiler) he's going to be more prominent in the next chapter and also Zayn's going to remember that he never actually scanned the dude (whoops lol) so it made sense to wait. Also just for fun I decide to do pictures of any new Poke balls as well, in case anyone was interested in them. As you probably noticed I just included all the ones that have been seen so far in the fic, please tell me if I missed one and I'll add it. Anyway, hope everyone is enjoying so far! till the next one ;]


	6. 7 & 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long everyone, I am in the middle of moving (chose a hell of a time right?) and have had no time to write between that and school work. But anyway, I hope everyone is still enjoying the story and hope you all enjoy this next chapter. Also theres gonna be some sexy stuff that happens so...you know, be ready for that lol. Anyway, please enjoy!

**Chapter 2: 7 & 2**

**???**

"Yes, they’re on the way to Paradise Falls." He had perched himself high up on a tree, watching the fight from afar. After it had ended, he waited until he saw their van drive past and into the forest. He had his eyes closed and was communicating with her through their link.

" _Payne still with him?_ "

"Yes." She did not respond immediately; it didn't surprise him as he had always known her to be very careful with her words.

" _He's going to be a problem._ "

"If he wasn't there, I could have taken the boy already…but even I would have issues taking on his whole team."

" _Fighting isn't how we will win this anyway; we don't know how he...killed... the last team we sent after them. Follow them into the falls, find out where they are staying... and then send in Simon to retrieve._ " The Pokémon shuddered; he hated that human. Simon Cowell...he was a very dark and twisted human with nothing but gruesome and disgusting thoughts always in his mind. Thoughts of torture, rape, murder...and those were just on the surface, he had never dared to venture deeper than that. 

"Yes…can he be trusted to bring Zayn in alive?" The Pokémon had never particularly liked children and his trainer’s kids had not been much of an exception. But...even so, he knew the boy was a gentle soul and would never wish to subject him to the horrible things Cowell would certainly do to him. 

" _He's ... messy, I'll give you that. But he and his Pokémon are strong, and he has ways of taking Payne out of the fight._ _He also knows better than to disobey Shiva, he knows what will happen._ "

"Then it will be done."

" _Alright…once you're done get back here, you'll be needed soon Alakazam_."

“Of course, Tricia Malik, I will be back soon.” The Pokémon nodded and stood to give a mighty stretch before blinking away and towards Paradise Falls.

**Zayn (51 days remaining to beat record)**

" _Wow_." He said, feeling breathless. The mountain was massive, spanning for 5 miles left to right in the center of the Seedling Forest. They arrived right in the center of the mountain by simply following the river upstream after entering the forests. There was a beautiful lake at the base of the mountain and a giant waterfall that flowed violently down into it. Humans did what humans do best and built around the beautiful nature, doing their best to avoid disturbing the natural balance of the forest. The buildings were a large collection of tree forts shaped like large wooden squares and spheres with wooden bridges connecting all of them. There were also buildings on the forest floor, however. Zayn smiled as they drove past a small collection of cute looking shops as they headed towards the inn Liam recommended, they stay at. He blushed as the Alpha had not let go of his hand since he told him about his upcoming heat. He smiled softly as he played with the man's fingers in-between his own.

"Zayn?" He blinked out of his thoughts and turned to look at his Pikachu.

"Yeah?"

"It's just uh…"

"You reek." Froslass quipped, holding her hands over her face. He blushed heavily, he forgot that many Pokémon had senses of smell that were extraordinarily better than humans. They would be able to smell his heat coming way before anyone else would and heats were ... smelly.

"O-oh, I do? I-I’m sorry guys…" Liam gave him a curious look as he pulled into the parking lot of the inn. 

"I... smell, apparently." Zayn said in a small and embarrassed voice. The Alpha smiled softly; he could tell the effects of the Omegas upcoming heat were starting to affect him. He was becoming more emotional, sensitive, and his scent was getting harder to control. Liam noted the boy did not seem to want to let go of his hand, being a bit possessive and clingy with their Alpha was another sign the Omegas heat was coming up soon. 

Liam smirked and leaned down to plant a slow, lingering kiss to the boy’s puffy lips. He smiled as he heard a variety of groans from the back seat and smiled down at the very flustered Zayn as he pulled his lips away.

"I certainly don't mind." 

"Send us away already, can't believe I'm actually looking forward to going home." Pikachu muttered. Zayn huffed and looked back at him.

"Oh, shut it, it's going to be two days of you getting spoiled by my sister and you know it." Whenever Zayn went through heat, he always felt bad because for two to three days his Pokémon would just have to wait around in another room as he handled his heat. They never complained (they knew it wasn't something Zayn could control) but he knew his Pikachu was a hyper one and didn't like being stuck in a place for more than a day if there wasn't anything to do. So, Zayn had decided to start sending them via Pokecenter to his hometown with his sister and father. He was able to do this instantly thanks to a machine called the Poketransfer. There was usually one in every single Pokecenter around the Lunari region. You simply place your Pokeballs into the machine and decide where you want to send them, and they are sent there. Simple right? It especially worked out because his family had a private Poketransfer set up in the gym so he could send them directly home. Though of course, this would take care of Lucario and Pikachu...but he needed to figure out where to send his other three Pokémon, who he wasn't sure might be as ok with going home as his other two friends would.

"Ah, using Poketransfer?" Liam asked curiously. Zayn nodded up at him.

"Figure they shouldn't have to just wait around for me, at least they'll have stuff to do at home." He nodded.

"Suppose that's true…" he smiled softly.

"Though you know babe, you picked the perfect place to have your heat. Mr. Kaneda wouldn't have any issues watching over them for you, that's actually where I planned on sending everyone while we had our fun." He said, ending with a smirk and a quick wink. Zayn blushed.

"Oh, ah...I, I suppose if he didn't mind…"

"Though I should warn you, he's going to relentlessly train your Pokémon during the next two days...it's a good thing, trust me." Liam laughed. He looked up and out Zayn’s window suddenly. A large grin suddenly appeared on his face.

"Ha! No fucking way!" Zayn turned to see what the Alpha had seen as the man got out of the van. An Alpha Zayn vaguely recognized was leaning against the inn's sturdy red brick walls smoking a cigarette. He had dirty but very blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He was short for an Alpha but very fit, Zayn thought he was quite cute. Sitting next to him and licking its paw, was the electric type Pokémon Jolteon. Zayn didn't know much about it, other than it was the electric type evolution of the Pokémon Eevee. 

"Does Liam know literally everyone in the Lunari region? Jeez." Pikachu quipped. Zayn didn't respond and got out right as the two Alphas laughed and pulled each other into a hug. Zayn closed his door behind him and slowly approached the two laughing Alphas.

"...get here already?"

"I flew dumbass, obviously." The blond Alpha grinned. Liam smirked and went to say something but stopped as he noticed Zayn.

"Oh my, Liam please introduce me to your very nice-looking friend." The blond smiled, giving Zayn very flirty eyes and even a quick wink. Zayn blushed as Liam gave the other Alpha a stern look.

"Niall, this is Zayn Malik. Zayn, this is Niall Horan, the-"

"7th Gym Leader." Zayn said, feeling like he just got shocked by his Pikachu. Niall grinned at this.

"Ahh, my reputation precedes me I see." They shook hands and Niall grinned at him.

"I thought I recognized you, I saw you on the news last year when you became the new Gym Leader in Fayz City." Zayn said with a laugh.

"That doesn't surprise me. You'd never forget a handsome face like this Zee Zee." The man grinned. Zayn let go of his hand but blushed as suddenly Liam threw one of his massive arms around his shoulders.

"Niall-"

"Oh, I'm just teasing...I know a taken Omega when I see one." He grinned as he jokingly patted the Alphas stomach. He sighed and let out a long stretch.

"So, I hear you two caught a Celebi?" Zayn's eyes widened in shock.

"H-how-"

"Oh, I ah...told him babe...in fact I'm kind of the reason he's here." Liam said sheepishly.

“I had some vacation days available...and Liam mentioned Team Rocket.” His eyes darkened at that; Zayn was surprised as he seemed the carefree type so to see him angry...it didn’t suit him.

“So... sorry, are you here to travel with us?” Zayn asked after a few seconds of awkward silence. The blond grinned at that.

“That won’t be a problem will it? I promise I won’t get in your way or anything, Liam mentioned you were trying to beat your mum's record?” He nodded.

“I’ve got 51 days to beat it and this’ll be gym 3 for me.” He smirked and nodded.

“Your mum managed to beat one a week, she never lost a battle...but of course she didn’t have to fight me.” He grinned. Zayn smiled.

“I look forward to it.” He grinned even wider, a wild look in his eye.

“I like you, got some fire in you.” The Alpha laughed. Zayn smiled; he already liked the man. He was a bit brash and loud but seemed very kindhearted.

“You can come along then, just don’t get in my way.”

“Who’s this guy?” a voice suddenly piped in. Pikachu jumped up onto his shoulder and Niall’s eyes widened.

“Woah, a talking Pikachu...can all Malik's Pikachu’s talk? That is a thing, right? I heard everyone in your family has one.” Zayn smiled and went to answer, but Pikachu beat him.

“Nope! I’m the only one who can talk and it's because I’m awesome.” he grinned. Zayn smiled weakly.

“I was told my moms could talk too...I don’t actually know, he died when I was...younger.” Niall shrugged.

“Well, anyway, that’s pretty fucking cool.” He held up a fist and Pikachu excitedly fist bumped him back.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Niall Horan, the Gym Leader of Fayz City.”

“I’m Pikachu, Zayn’s best friend.” He pointed to the rest of his Pokémon who had all gotten out of the van at this point and stood nearby.

“That's Lucario but we call him Luca, that's Froslass-”

“ _Frost._ ” said Pokémon suddenly snapped. He rolled his eyes.

“She prefers to be called Frost. And we have a Celebi in the car who is passed out and we also have a Snorlax but we haven’t talked to him yet.” He nodded.

“Cool team, I’ll have to show off my friends later…” he looked down and smiled.

“But for now, meet my Jolteon! But you can call him Bolt.” The Pokémon let out a soft cry at them before continuing to lazily lick its paw.

“Don’t mind him, he’s a bit of a dick to new people.” Niall laughed. Zayn pulled out his Pokedex.

“Mind if I…?” He grinned.

“Go right ahead!” he pointed his Pokedex down at the spiky yellow Pokémon and scanned.

_Jolteon (Japanese:_ _サンダース Sandaasu) is an Electric-type Pokémon. It is a quadruped, mammalian Pokémon covered in yellow fur with a spiky fringe around its tail and a white ruff around its neck. Its ears are large and pointed with black interiors, and its eyes and small nose are black. It has slender legs and small paws, each with three toes and a pink paw pad._

_Jolteon's prickly fur is made of electrically charged needles and generates negatively charged ions, which create a sparking noise as it moves. It also has an electricity generating organ in its lungs. The static electricity in its fur amplifies the low-level electricity generated by its cells and allows it to discharge 10,000-volt lightning bolts. This Pokémon is most often found in cities and towns under the ownership of Trainers. However, its high-strung nature and tendency toward mood swings can make it difficult to train._

_Jolteon has the ability Volt Absorb. This allows Jolteon to absorb any Electric-type move and heal itself. When threatened or angered, its fur stands on its end and becomes sharp bristles, and it will fire these electrified needles from its body. When it exhales, little sparks form in its mouth due to its electricity. Jolteon cannot normally be found in the wild, you must give a thunderstone to the Pokemon Eevee to attain one._

“Wow, 10,000 volts...guess I should avoid petting you.” Zayn laughed.

“Well you can...but I hope you are wearing some form of rubber.” Niall grinned.

“Well, I’m going to go get us checked into the room...Niall you want to join us at the dojo? Mr. Kaneda invited us.” He smirked.

“Sure, haven’t seen the old man in a while.” Liam turned and squeezed Zayn’s hand.

“Should go get your things together love.” Zayn nodded and smiled at the Alpha as he gave Zayn’s cheek a quick kiss before heading inside. Niall followed the man as his Jolteon trailed behind him.

“So... that's him eh? He's pretty damn attractive, I see why you've gone all gooey over him you cradle robber." He snorted. Liam gave him an annoyed look.

"He's twenty, not a kid." Niall laughed.

"Just giving you shit Lee…" they approached the counter and a cute Omega boy gave them both a sweet smile.

"Hi, can I help you?" 

"Reservation for Payne." The boy nodded and turned on Niall.

"And you sir?"

"Don't have one here, but I do have a nice reservation at a restaurant for you and I." The shameless Alpha grinned. The poor Omega blushed heavily at that before laughing awkwardly.

"I'm...flattered sir, but I have a boyfriend…"

"Damn, all the cute Omegas are taken here." The boy laughed at that as he typed in Liam's information.

"Maybe you should try the Gym Leader sir, I heard he's single." The Alphas eyes lit up at that.

"Oh really…?" Liam rolled his eyes as the Omega gave him his key to the room.

Niall handed the Omega his card to pay for a room for himself. The boy clicked away before nodding happily and handing Niall his card back along with his room key.

"I've got you both checked in but let me make sure your room is done being cleaned Mr. Payne. You got here a bit early." Liam just nodded as the boy walked through a door behind the counter and out of sight.

"You're shameless." Liam said. Niall grinned.

"Omegas like being flirted with, you'll be surprised to know that my flirting works most of the time."

"I know, doesn't mean you aren't shameless." Liam chuckled.

"So... the cave Pokémon eh?" Liam turned to look down at him, the Alpha was giving him a serious look.

"I don't...know exactly. The video I sent you was the only evidence I have that it's...that... _thing._ " he said tightly.

"How the fuck did that kid...I mean I know you mentioned the Master Ball but even still…"

"I don't know Niall, we haven't...talked about it yet." He frowned.

"At all?" He shook his head.

"At all."

"...why?"

"If I push him too hard, he's going to close me off...just need to be patient, he'll come to me eventually." Niall chuckled.

"Aww Leelee, all worried about the Omegas feelings…" he frowned.

"You called me here because you and I might be the only people who can contain that...who can contain it. Do you think there's a legitimate fear that it'll get out?" Liam said nothing right away. The Omega from before returned and smiled at them to let them know the room was done and ready for them.

"Could we also have some extra towels brought to the room? My Omega is going to be having his heat tomorrow." The Omega gave them a sweet smile and a nod.

"Of course, sir, I'll have those sent up right away." Liam thanked him before leaving and heading back outside to collect his Omega.

"Ahhh, heat eh? Suddenly it makes so much more sense why I'm here, glorified bodyguard so you can fuck." The Alpha cackled. Liam just ignored him and continued their conversation. 

"Yeah Niall, I think there's a threat...I don’t want to take the Master ball from him just yet, but if we can help it...we can't let him use it, for any reason." He nodded slowly as they stopped in front of the door.

"Right Liam, I can't imagine what would happen if he let that thing loose, I don't want too frankly." The doors opened and Liam smiled as he saw his Omega happily talking to all the Pokémon.

"We got to protect him Niall... _I_ need to protect him." Niall chuckled next to him.

"Liam Payne, if I didn't know better... I'd say you were in love." Liam shook his head.

"Ok, let's not get ahead of ourselves...love is a powerful word, I wouldn't call it that yet…" he smiled.

"But I can't deny...I like him, I like him a lot. He's so sweet and kind and-"

"Stop before I vomit on you to make you stop." Niall quipped as he strolled down the stairs of the inn and to the van.

"Zeezee! Don't worry, I managed to secure you and I a room in the inn." Niall grinned as he approached the group.

"Um...thanks but I think I should stay with Liam." Zayn said softly.

"I am just as capable of taking care of you during your monthly fun times as he is, probably more so because I'm a much more generous lover." Niall laughed. Zayn blushed heavily.

"I... doubt that." Niall gasped in a very over the top way and grabbed his chest.

"Oh! You wound me Zayn! I'm wounded and dying now…" he dramatically sighed as he fell down to the ground and acted like he died. His Jolteon looked at him, shook its head, and continued to groom itself.

"You are such an idiot." Liam chuckled as he approached the group, giving Niall a gentle kick to his ankle and Zayn a quick kiss.

"Rooms ready Zee." He smiled, rubbing Zayn's cheek. The Omega blushed and nodded. He smiled as he grabbed the boy’s hand.

"Let's go drop our stuff off then." Zayn smiled.

"Yeah, lets-"

His necklace jingled, he felt cold wash over him as his Master ball moved on its own inside his shirt. He felt a wave of cold over his body, he breathed heavily as a blurred form stood in front of him and the world froze. He recognized it; this blurred figure covered in shadow; he's seen it only a handful of times, but he'd recognize it anywhere.

His monster

He heard whispers, a single phrase like an echo from far away in the back of his mind.

_...get...out…_

Zayn yelped in surprise as an explosion suddenly rocked Paradise Falls and he was thrust back into the present. The world was normal again and time had returned, the figure was gone. The group all turned and stared in shock as a nearby tree hut exploded in a hail of fireless wooden splinters. He felt his face pale, his eyes wide as he saw a Pokémon hurtling towards the ground surrounded by broken pieces of wood. A Pokémon he would recognize anywhere…

Alakazam...his _mother's_ Alakazam

**Alakazam**

"The Paradise Inn...there is a problem though." The Pokémon said as he stared down at them from the top of a nearby tree hut.

" _Oh?_ "

"I can't read his mind from here, but even I can smell him...he is going into heat soon." She tsked in his head.

" _Damnit...alright, leave them be for now. An Omega in heat is going to be useless to us. Have Simon come, but wait until the heats over._ "

"Yes Tricia Malik."

" _Good...is Payne taking care of him?_ "

"Considering how close they seem to be, I would say that's a yes." She hummed thoughtfully in his mind.

"... _break them up._ " He tensed at that.

"You want me to mess with their emotions and make them hate each other?"

" _Yes, it's going to make it much easier to take Zayn. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner, he’ll be in a much more emotional and manipulatable state right now._ " She said. He sighed; he didn't enjoy manipulating human emotions… because it was all too easy for him to do. There's been a time or three when he's thrown a room of humans into utter rages or wild fits of passion because _he_ was in a mood and he couldn't control it. He spent a long-time training with Tricia to control his powers. There's a reason Psychic types are considered some of the most dangerous Pokémon on the planet...and he knew his species was near the very top of most powerful of the Psychic types.

But Tricia Malik is right, it will make things much easier for everyone.

"...I will do as you wish." She tsked in his head.

" _My boy will be fine, it's just a crush._ " Alakazam just nodded.

"As you say." He slowly crossed his legs and raised his silver spoons, the things that helped him channel his power. Both were gifts from Tricia, given to him on the day he evolved into his current form. It had been one of the happiest days of his life. He concentrated on the boy; he felt the spoons very slowly begin to bend as he moved his influence over the distance between the two of them. He reached the van, felt the emotions of the Pokémon and the others. He ignored them and slowly crept his way towards the Omega. He felt the boy's heart in his chest, he slowly moved up and towards his head-

**_Get_ **

**_Out_ **

**_get out get out get out get out get out get out getoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutGETOUTGETOUTGETOUTGETOUTGET-_ **

Alakazam gasped and his body froze as walls of power flowed over the Omegas brain, stopping him from entering. At the same time he was frozen as he was bombarded by the command to get out. What was this? The boy had never had anything like this over him before…

He screamed as pain suddenly ripped through his mind. Images filled his head, a cave, he was entering a cave…

Eyes in the dark, glowing bright with overwhelming power. 

**_Leave...the boy is mine_** …

**_GET_ **

**_OUT_ **

Alakazam gasped as he was ripped out of the boy and sent hurtling backwards. He was slammed back into his body, the force of it sent out a shockwave of psychic energy and the hut underneath him exploded. Thankfully, he'd made sure he had picked an empty hut to perch on so he knew no innocents would be hurt. Gravity sent him tumbling towards the ground, his powers still not in his control so he couldn't do a thing as he painfully slammed into the ground and rolled a few feet onto the road. He heard a variety of noise around him, chatter of fear and worry from nearby humans who were running towards him. He slowly felt his control come back...but the fear remained.

He no longer wondered how the boy managed to kill his kidnappers

He was standing in the middle of the road, to his left were a small collection of shops including a Pokecenter and a Pokemart. A small crowd had formed in front of them nearby, he counted 15 humans total. To his right, just a few feet away, was the lake and the waterfall. And straight ahead, about 40 feet away...was his intended target.

"Are you alright?" Someone in the group asked. He turned on the group and raised a hand. The man who had asked raised his hands.

"W-woah, Pokémon we-" the man and everyone around him suddenly went dead in the eyes and slumped over. Alakazam slowly moved his hand in a circle as he used one of his specialties, Hypnosis, to put the group into a deep slumber. They all slowly fell to the ground and began to sleep.

" _Alakazam? What the hell is going on?_ "

He ignored her and slowly turned back around; Zayn was staring at him with a look of fear on his face. Suddenly, a body was in front of him, Payne, anger in his eyes. He quickly flicked his eyes over the rest of the group. Pikachu and Lucario were both staring, also looking fearful. His eyes traveled over the Froslass and frowned. He had seen her earlier when they fought the Snorlax, he felt like he remembered her, but he wasn't sure why. Had they fought before? So much has been happening the last few weeks he wasn't sure. His eyes traveled over the newcomer and his Jolteon and then Payne's tensed and very ready Incineroar and Blaziken. His pulse quickened; his eyes narrowed as a small green Pokémon suddenly came into view from behind the van.

"Celebi is in sight." He said. He heard her breath hitch, excitement as she said.

" _Can you take her?_ " He sent her images, quickly showing her the situation he was now in.

"...no, there's too many of them."

" _Then what the fuck are you still doing there? Get out now!_ " He nodded as he took a few steps back and quickly blinked away. 

**Zayn**

"What the hell was that about?" Niall said rather loudly after a tense few seconds of silence. Zayn said nothing because he frankly had no fucking idea what that was...but...

That _had_ to be Mr. Kazam, his mother's Alakazam...what was he doing here?

"I don't know, but we need to go check on those people…" Liam said. Niall nodded and rushed down the road, Incineroar and Blaziken joined him.

"Luca, Pikachu, Frost, go help check on people ok?" Zayn said softly. They all went (though Frost had to add that she was only going to check on the women) and Zayn felt a little faint suddenly.

"Leeyum…" he felt unexpected tears suddenly falling down his cheeks, he hated how easily his emotions intensified pre-heats. 

"Zayn, Zee woah babe…" Liam pulled Zayn close and gently cupped the boy's cheeks. He let out a low whine of unhappiness in response to his Omegas tears. He wiped at the tears with his thumbs before leaning forward for a soft kiss.

"It's ok, Zayn love that wasn't anything to be scared of…" but Zayn knew, they weren't going to be safe here. He was being followed by Alakazam… he knew how powerful his mum's Pokémon was. He felt his vision suddenly blur, he moaned softly as his knees buckled before fully giving out under him and he was pulled into the black abyss.

**Alakazam**

He breathed heavily, he managed to teleport just outside Fayz City but now he was completely drained of energy. He would need to take a few minutes to recover before making the final jump up to their base.

" _Can you talk now?_ " He nodded.

"Yes, I-"

" _What the FUCK was that!? That was sloppy Alakazam, extremely sloppy! You've never fucked up a mission like that before, what the hell_ -" he then sent her images, everything he had seen and everything leading up to and after the incident. She said nothing the entire time, not until long after he was done showing her what he needed her to see.

"... _oh."_

"Tricia Malik...he has something _powerful,_ something already rooted _deep_ in his mind."

" _Yes...yes that...what…_ " he was a little surprised, it took quite a lot to make Tricia Malik stumble over her own words.

Suddenly, she began to laugh.

He was frankly shocked by this because Tricia Malik _never_ laughed. Not anymore, not since...not since Little Brother died.

" _He...he actually found it, I can't...I can't believe…_ " She continued to laugh, he frowned because this was yet another first...he had no idea what she was talking about. They had shared everything with each other, he was her second Pokémon and her oldest friend...there were no secrets between them, so why didn't he understand now?

"Tricia Malik, what is going on? Why do you know what that _thing_ was?" He demanded, not feeling very happy right now. She stifled her laughter and slowly regained her composure.

" _Sorry, I'm sorry...can you teleport back here yet?_ "

"Soon."

" _Then come back when you can, in the meantime we stick to the original plan and call Simon, tell him Zayn will be in Paradise Falls in two days and he is to go and capture him and Celebi. Two days should be about when his heat ends, Simon will grab him right when it's done. Make it clear that we need them both ALIVE and in one piece."_

 _"_ It will be done...but Tricia, what was-"

" _We will speak when you get back, I'll explain everything...for now, all I will say is this…"_ she chuckled again and shook her head.

" _My boy may have captured the most powerful Pokémon on the planet...and if he has...this will change...everything._ "

**Zayn**

Zayn woke up to cool air conditioning and a wet rag placed over his forehead. He sighed heavily as he slowly sat up. He felt a bit lightheaded still as he moved into a sitting position on the bed. He ran his fingers over the surprisingly nice blue comforter and looked around the room. Wooden walls, flooring, and a large window that was closed and the blue curtains drawn. He noticed a small wooden dresser in front of the bed and pressed against the wall, a small TV sat on top. A small circular wooden table was set next to it with two chairs tucked into it. He noticed his things sitting nearby, along with Liam's bag. He stood and that was when he finally noticed the sound of a shower running in the other room. He walked up to the door, it was slightly ajar, and he could clearly hear the shower now. He gingerly poked a head inside, blushing heavily at the sight before him. Liam was naked, the inn had a small bathtub next to a glass shower that did nothing to hide the attractive Alpha currently soaping up his toned body. Zayn felt himself harden immediately as he watched the chiseled perfection of a man soaped up his hair and hadn't noticed the Omega yet.

Zayn blames his hormones for what happened next. He couldn't really control himself as a wave of heat rippled through his body. He stripped off his shirt and quietly closed the door behind him. He pulled off his pants and padded slowly across the cool tile flooring. He reached the shower; the Alpha still hadn't noticed him. He opened the door to the shower, it let out a soft click and the Alpha immediately turned.

"Zay-?" He couldn't finish as Zayn moaned and moved quickly over to his Alpha to pull him into a deep and very desperate kiss. Liam grunted and began kissing back after a moment of surprise. He tugged the Omegas body close, Zayn whimpered because the Alpha was so wet and warm and _hard._ Zayn cried out softly as the man dived in and began leaving a biting hickey on his collarbone while lazily jerking the Omega off.

"So hard baby...but this isn't heat, your smell isn't strong enough…" he smiled softly.

"Getting close though yeah? Really close...might start tonight baby." Zayn gasped softly as the Alpha suddenly turned him, his backside now pressed against the man's front.

"Your heats so warm baby." He chuckled into the Omegas ear. His hand lazily wrapped his hand back around his Omegas hardness, eliciting delicious whines that all went right into his own rigid cock.

"Mmm, those are noises I could get addicted to baby." He chuckled as he started to jack him off at a quick pace. Zayn panted and pushed his bum back into Liam's hips. The Alpha groaned as the boy created lovely friction and sent waves of pleasure up Liam's spine. 

"L-Leeyum…" he whined as Liam bit at the spot behind the boy’s earlobe, a spot he had learned was sweet last night when they had their hour-long snog session in the van before bed.

"L-Liam I-" he whined suddenly and thrusted his hips into Liam's hand as he was suddenly cumming. The Alpha laughed warmly against the Omegas neck and rubbed the boys’ stomach with his left as his right hand continued to stroke him through his orgasm.

"Good Zayn, good boy...I'm glad you came to me for help baby." Liam kissed the panting Omegas cheek and slowly let go of the boys deflating cock.

"Feel better Zee?" Liam asked, slowly turning the boy around. Zayn whimpered softly and suddenly was on his knees.

"Zayn? What-" he groaned and gripped the boys wet head with both hands as his Omega took his cock in his delicious mouth.

"Oh, baby boy…" the Alpha bit his lip, he couldn't deny he had fantasized about this very scenario a handful of times over the past few days. Zayn had very full and beautiful lips, the way they smoothly glided over Liam's manhood and sent waves of pleasure through his whole body made his toes curl.

He felt himself getting close to the edge, he was a bit stunned as the two hadn't moved beyond hand stuff yet so imagine his surprise to find his Omega taking almost all of his cock like a pro.

"So good baby, feel so good Zayn…" he gripped Zayn by the back of the head while his other hand cupped the boy's jaw.

"You look just as good as I imagined you would baby, you're beautiful." Zayn moaned around his cock and turned his eyes upwards to look up at him. Liam almost came at the look being given to him by the Omega. A look of unbridled passion and want, of need for the Alpha. His grip tightened and he tugged back on the Omegas hair. Zayn moaned so loudly Liam briefly wondered if anyone had heard that, but pretty quickly stopped giving a fuck as Zayn suddenly picked up the pace.

"Baby, baby boy...gonna make me cum, want my cum don't you?" Zayn moaned and looked up at him with desperate and needy eyes, eyes he was sure would kill him one day.

" _Fuck._ " He grunted. Zayn deep throated him one last time and he was done. His felt his cock shoot stream after stream of cum down his throat as the Omega whined and continued sucking on him even though he couldn't move with how tight Liam's grip was. 

"Feel so good baby, taking all of me so well…" he grunted as Zayn slowly pulled off him and swallowed the rest of his spunk. Liam helped him up and cupped Zayn’s cheeks as he pulled the boy into a slow kiss. He could still taste himself on the boys’ tongue, he chuckled into his lips and pulled back so he could press their foreheads together.

"You are something special Zayn, I truly mean that." He blushed.

"I...that was ok right? I-I know I didn't ask if it was ok for me to do that but I just-" Liam kissed the boy hard and hugged him tightly.

"Baby...that was _more_ than ok. I didn't expect anything back love but that...that was pretty spectacular." Zayn smiled warmly, feeling very pleased with himself. He stood and giggled as the Alpha pulled him close and kissed him passionately. He took a cloth and gently cleaned the two of them up before pulling him out of the shower.

"Where is everyone? What even happened…?" Zayn asked as the Alpha dried him off.

"Well, a hut exploded and an Alakazam-"

"I mean after that." Zayn sighed. The Alpha chuckled.

"Well, you passed out babe...scared the shit out of me I might add." He huffed as it all slowly came back to him. 

"Oh...yeah, I guess I…" he leaned against the bathroom counter as Liam tied the towel around his hips.

"Well, after that I brought you in. Everyone was hungry so I stayed to watch after you while Niall treated everyone to lunch…" he smiled as he leaned in to kiss Zayn's jaw.

"I stayed behind to watch you babe…" Zayn huffed as hugged him.

"Thank you Liam...sorry if I scared you." Liam just shook his head and hugged him back.

"No need to be sorry love, you were scared...because that was your mum's Alakazam." He quickly looked up at that Alpha, he had a frown on his face.

"H-how did-"

"I knew your mum had an Alakazam, but I didn't realize that was hers...until Pikachu told me he was 'positive' that was him…" Zayn frowned.

"What...else did he tell you?"

"Nothing love, he was just as surprised to see him here as the rest of us…" Zayn nodded, internally very grateful that he hadn't told Pikachu about what Froslass told him. The things Froslass and he talked about back in Desert Town in the inn bathroom had stayed between the two of them. He didn't want anyone to know yet because...well...he wasn't totally sure just yet…

Maybe he was afraid to tell them that he knew where one of Team Rocket's bases was because part of him wanted to protect his mother...but why? Why would she work for this...this ‘Shiva’ person? It was unlike her to take orders, his mother had always been very headstrong. What if she was co-leading? Why would his mother be involved with these people at all? They’re the ones who killed her Pikachu...

"Zayn...do you know why he was here?" Zayn shook his head.

"I...I don't, honestly. I don't know why he destroyed the hut either...my best guess is that he was spying on us and something happened that exposed him." He didn't want to tell Liam about the vision either...because he already knew what that was.

"Ok…" he frowned down at Zayn.

"What?" Zayn asked, giving him a confused look.

"I…please, don't take this the wrong way babe…" he grabbed the boy's hand and gently kissed the back of it. Zayn blushed as the man tangled their fingers together. 

"I know we haven't been together all that long, but I feel this urge, this need to protect you. I'm worried about you and I...I just want you to know, you can trust me Zayn. I won't judge you, I won't hate you, I just want to know so I can better protect you babe...I just want to understand." Zayn felt tears well up in his eyes, he huffed and squeezed the man's hand.

"Liam…" he huffed again and looked up at him with scared eyes.

"You...I want to trust you, I do. But this...there's _a lot_ you don't know and understand. We'd be here all night…" Liam smiled weakly.

"That's ok baby, just...one thing at a time. Maybe we just start with the 'need to know now' stuff and later we can talk about everything else…"

"You know, there's still a lot I don't know about you Liam…" Zayn giggled, wiping away his tears. The Alpha chuckled as he kissed his forehead.

"I know babe... though frankly, you're much more interesting than I am." Zayn giggled again and shook his head.

"No, I'm boring…"

"You are so far from boring love, trust me." He sighed.

“Tonight....we can talk tonight, after everyone’s gone and we are just waiting for...for my heat. We can talk about everything...” Liam nodded.

“Ok Zayn, tonight.” He kissed the boys knuckles before dipping in to kiss his Omega’s lips.

“So, where's everyone eating?” Zayn asked as the two got dressed. 

"They went to Mr. Kaneda's dojo, he and the new Gym Leader showed up pretty soon after you passed out love...he offered to treat everyone to lunch." The Alpha nodded.

"He's a good kid, the Gym Leader I mean...he must be talented, he's the same age as you and he's already a Gym Leader." Zayn nodded.

"Yeah, yeah you're right he must be…" the two finished dressing. Zayn frowned as he noticed Liam giving him a worried look.

"What?"

"You sure you're alright? We can just stay here…" he smiled softly as he leaned up to kiss his worried boyfriend.

"I'm fine Lee." He nodded slowly.

"Ok...just…" Zayn giggled.

" _What?_ "

"Wanna hold your hand while we walk." He suddenly smirked. Zayn let out a thoughtful hum before quickly grabbing the man's hand and pulling him towards the door.

**Who's that Pokemon?**

****

**Alakazam!**

****

**Jolteon!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I know it was a bit shorter than normal but I wanted to get something out and it felt like a good stopping point. I'm already working on the next chapter so hopefully the wait wont be too bad. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there, wishing you all the best! Until the next chapter!


	7. The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yall...sorry it's been a hot minute. I feel like I'm apologizing every chapter now lol. Anyway, this one took a bit longer because my life has been busy. School started back up, working a new job...and for a hot minute I wasn't writing at all because I was feeling bleh. But don't fret, the story is still going as planned and I'm happy with it, and I hope yall are too! Anyway, please enjoy and hopefully the next chapter is up sooner than this one was.
> 
> Oh and fair warning...its not what the entire chapter is made of, but some graphic smut happens so ...yup. Anyway, please enjoy!

**Chapter 3: The Storm**

**???**

" _You understand your orders?_ "

"Yes Shiva, I'm rerouting there now..." He said, cricking his neck as he drove down the road. A smile slowly spread across his face. 

" _Good, get it done Simon...and do NOT draw attention to yourself._ " She hung up before he could respond. He chuckled to himself, he knew she had to be an Alpha because of her hard personality. No nonsense, he respected her greatly.

He was... skeptical at first. Her predecessor was a man named Giovanni, who had founded and had been leading Team Rocket for 65 years. He never retired and finally died as the still reigning leader at the ripe old age of 88. Simon had respected the man when he first joined but grew a distaste for him as he got older and more senile. He hadn't wished him dead per say, but he wasn't exactly sad to see him go either. He was very ready for new management.

After Giovanni died, there was a power struggle for the role of leadership. See, Giovanni didn't exactly have a second in command, he had squad leaders who led their squads because they had the strongest Pokémon and (usually) weren't morons. One of the squad leaders suggested a massive battle just amongst them to decide who would become the new leader. Being a squad leader himself, Simon was all for this idea. And so, the squad leaders decided to have a Pokémon tournament to decide who would become the new leader of Team Rocket.

Well...it didn't work out like that.

On the day of the tournament, right as the squad leaders were set to fight… _she_ showed up.

She appeared in the middle of the arena, floating to her left was a very powerful looking Alakazam. To her right, a massive and imposing Ursaring. She announced that her name was Shiva, she was here to take over Team Rocket and lead us all into a new age…

The sound of laughter was practically deafening. Who was this crazy person? Was she serious with the name and the freaky glowing blue mask? 

Everyone in that arena, every single one, summoned their Pokémon and came at her all at once…

They were all swiftly and brutally beaten.

Shiva was the leader now and she knew how to utilize her people's talents...why else would she send Simon and his squad after this Zayn kid and the Celebi he stole from them?

"I’m surprised you didn’t tell her we were only a few hours out...going to have some fun while we're in the Falls?" He turned on his protege, a very talented thief by the name of Camila Cabello. She was just some street urchin pickpocket before Simon found her and saw the talent she held…

And how her twisted mind was oh so like his own...

"No... this is a business trip my little cat...and the falls are a few hours out yes, but she said our target won’t be there for another couple days..." She let out a loud purr at this and giggled.

"But I want to see the new Gym Leader! He's so cute, I want to play with him so badly! _Pleeeease?_ "

"Always looking for a little mouse to swat with your claws." Simon chuckled. She gave him dangerous eyes and a playful smile.

"Always." He nodded.

"OK, we can get there before our target shows up...I can catch you a mouse." She squealed in delight and he smiled as he took the next left and headed straight for Paradise Falls. 

**Zayn (51 days remaining)**

The dojo was small, it reminded Zayn of the old abandoned monastery back in Bradford. He smiled as they walked into a large courtyard filled with students (humans and Pokémon alike) training and practicing martial arts. He suddenly laughed in surprise as he saw his Pikachu and Lucario training themselves as Mr. Kaneda stood nearby and barked out orders. Niall was next to the Pokémon, now shirtless and doing similar looking training.

They approached, Oda saw them first and smiled widely.

"Ahh, Payne! Malik! I hope you don't mind but I've been putting your friends through the paces!" Liam just smirked at this.

"I see that...how's it going Pikachu?"

" _I. Am. Killing. It!"_ The mousey Pokémon grinned as he started punching the air even harder. Zayn laughed softly at that.

"So, are you alright Zayn? I was informed about the incident earlier…" the older man said with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm alright sir, I just...um, am going into a heat soon…" he mumbled, feeling horribly embarrassed.

"Ah, I see. Say no more, I am just happy to know you are alright." He smiled.

"So, will you be leaving your friends with me as well? I promise, I will take good care of them here and I can perhaps even teach them a few things." Zayn smiled.

"Thank you so much for the offer sir...but I could never pay you back for that, I couldn't…" Oda just laughed at that and shook his head.

"Your sister said the very same thing to me when I offered to train her Pokémon. You Malik's should learn to recognize a friendly offer with no strings attached! Your payment is making one of my best students a happy man." He blushed heavily at that as the man laughed and Liam just smiled softly down at him as he squeezed Zayn’s hand. Oda decided to change the subject, feeling bad for embarrassing the poor boy who was clearly already starting to show signs of his heat.

"You know, I taught your mother's Pikachu a very powerful move. I could see if yours could learn the same technique." The Omegas eyes widened at that.

"Really?"

"Yes...though I should tell you, I've only tried to teach this technique to 5 other Pikachu's...and 3 of them weren't able to master it." Zayn wondered if Doniya's Pikachu, Daisy, was the other one to learn this technique.

"The technique was given the name Volt Tackle. It's the most powerful lightning attack a Pikachu can learn along with being the _only_ Pokémon capable of using it. It's a very dangerous move, powerful...very few things are capable of stopping a Pikachu using Volt Tackle."

" _Zayn!_ " He turned his head; Pikachu was still doing the poses but was now looking at him.

"I can learn anything!" He smiled softly at his friend.

"Yea, you can…" he turned on Mr. Kaneda and nodded.

"Ok sir, you've got a deal." He grinned.

"Excellent! I will do my best; your friend has already mastered our language and I'm confident he can master this." They shook hands and he nodded before turning on Liam.

"So, boy...I can see you've taken to my training." Liam grinned and the two began to chat animatedly about the past two years. Zayn smiled and gave Liam's hand a squeeze before letting go and walking off to let them talk. He walked inside the building and smiled as he looked around. The walls were stone, seemingly sculpted to perfection, creating smooth doorways and walls. The ceiling was stone as well, ornate iron lanterns hung unlit as the sun was still filling the halls with light. 

He slowly wandered down the halls, smiling politely as a few monks passed by with their twin Hitmonlee. He stopped when he suddenly heard a guitar playing a soft melody he'd never heard before. He followed the sound and soon found himself in a beautifully kept garden. A small pond sat in the middle of a small, walled off section of the dojo. A red bridge sat over the crystal-clear pond. On the other side of the bridge was a beautiful flower garden filled with lavender and a scarlet red flower Zayn had never seen before. Sitting up against the nearby wall was a massive weeping willow.

Zayn slowly walked across the bridge and into the flowers, being careful to follow the small stone path and not step on any flowers. He smiled as he could see the fish Pokémon Goldeen in the pond. His eyes wandered to the source of the music and his breathing hitched in surprise. Sitting underneath the tree was the final evolution of the Pokémon Bulbasaur, the massive grass type Pokémon Venusaur. Zayn had never seen one in real life, he quickly pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the seemingly napping Pokémon.

_Venusaur (Japanese:_ _フシギバナ Fushigibana) is a dual-type Grass/Poison Pokémon. It is the final evolution of the Pokémon Bulbasaur._

_Venusaur is a squat, quadruped Pokémon with bumpy, blue-green skin. It has a wide mouth with two pointed teeth in the upper jaw and four in the lower jaw. On top of its head are small, pointed ears with reddish pink insides. It has three clawed toes on each foot._

_The bud on its back has bloomed into a large pink, white-spotted flower. The flower is supported by a thick, brown trunk surrounded by green fronds. Females will have a seed inside the flower._

_The flower is said to take on vivid colors if it gets plenty of nutrition and sunlight. The flower’s aroma soothes the emotions of people, the flower is also how it absorbs energy for it's more powerful attacks._

"So cool." Zayn said with a smile. As he got closer, the sound of the guitar got even louder. He approached and stopped just outside the tree. That was when he noticed the young Omega sitting on the Pokémon’s back. Zayn stared at him, feeling mesmerized because the stranger was very handsome, and his song was beautiful. His hair was cut short, he wore a slimming white t-shirt with a comfortable forest green cardigan and fitting blue jeans. He continued to play his tune, not seeming to notice Zayn yet as his eyes were closed, and his head was facing up towards the sky. The Omega ended his song a minute later and sighed loudly. He looked down and let out a surprised gasp at the sight of Zayn.

"Oh! Geez, give a guy some warning!" Zayn flushed in embarrassment.

"O-oh, I'm sorry…" the guitar playing Omega laughed weakly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah, you're fine, Master Kaneda says I startle too easy…" he hopped gracefully off his sleeping Venusaur and placed the guitar up against the tree before approaching. Zayn was taken aback by how tall the Omega was, he'd never met another Omega taller than himself. The other Omega had to be at least 6 feet tall. 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Shawn, Mendes...the Gym Leader here in Paradise Falls." Zayn nodded and smiled as he held out his hand. The young gym leader smiled warmly and shook the hand.

"Zayn Malik, I'm here to challenge you to a Gym battle." His eyes widened before he suddenly laughed.

"Oh! So, you're the one who took care of my Snorlax problem…" Zayn laughed softly.

"Y-yeah, was a bit of a boring fight if I'm honest…" he snickered.

"Ahh, brag all you want, taking a Snorlax down is impressive but you won't psyche me out!" Zayn laughed a bit awkwardly; he hadn't exactly meant it like that…

"So, what Pokémon have you brought to challenge me with?" Shawn asked with a smile. Zayn smiled back and listed off his Pokémon, excluding Celebi and his _other_ monster.

"Ok, ok that's a good team…" he grinned. 

"But let me introduce you, too-" he flinched suddenly and hummed unhappily as he grabbed the side of his stomach. Zayn quirked an eyebrow at him 

"Are you ok?" He laughed awkwardly, seeming embarrassed.

"Yeah, I'm good...this is a little embarrassing, but I'm having a heat soon…" Zayn's eyes widened.

"You too?" The handsome Omegas eyes widened in surprise as he let out a soft laugh.

"Y-yeah…" both boys inadvertently fell to their heightened emotions from their upcoming heats and blushed hotly, feeling embarrassed. 

"W-well it works out anyway! You'll be my first challenger when we're all done yeah?" Zayn nodded quickly. 

"Y-yeah, that'd be awesome…" Shawn nodded slowly.

"So... when’s yours supposed to start?" Zayn shrugged.

"To be honest, anytime...but I think tonight at some point." Shawn nodded.

"Random huh? Mine likes to start at 3 am, on the dot." Zayn hissed.

"Shit, sorry that blows." He laughed weakly.

"Yeah, thanks but I'm used to it by now." He sighed.

"Poor Mr. Kaneda's going to have his hands full with all these people's Pokémon here…" Zayn’s brow furrowed.

"Is my being here a problem?" Shawn's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head.

"No! No Zayn not at all…don't worry, he has so many students and volunteers who help out around this place with their own Pokémon...they'll be fine." Zayn nodded, feeling far better, as the other Omega smiled.

"So, can I assume you're new to Paradise Falls?" Zayn nodded and the Omega grinned.

"Cool, how about I treat you to a nice dinner before our heats screw us? On me of course." Zayn smiled warmly; he liked this guy.

"Sure, sounds fun." Shawn pursed his lips.

"So, I was going to ask if you had anyone to help with your heat, but I just remembered I met that _really hot_ boyfriend of yours earlier." Zayn blushed.

"O-oh, yeah, he mentioned you two met…"

"Good job Zayn, honestly, good for you." Shawn giggled. Zayn blushed heavier and Shawn stopped giggling and shook his head.

"Sorry! I shouldn't tease you; I know how sensitive you are probably feeling right now." He smiled softly.

"It's ok Shawn." The young gym leader grinned and looked past Zayn.

"Speaking of your man…" Zayn turned and smiled as he saw his Alpha come strolling in, looking a little out of breath like he had been working out. He was following a tired looking and shirtless Niall.

"Zayn, is that hot shirtless Alpha...is that Niall Horan? The 7th Gym leader?" He turned and smiled softly as he noticed how very flustered the Omega was, who was biting his lip and looking straight at the other Gym Leader.

"Yeah, you know I think he's single…"

"H-he is? Oh, that's ...good to know." He giggled as his new friend straightened his shirt and quickly tried to fix his hair. He turned back towards the approaching Alphas and smiled. He supposed he was so close to heat that he should probably be in a worse state than Shawn was at the sight of a fit, attractive, _shirtless,_ Alpha…

But he wasn't drawn to Niall in the slightest, he only had eyes for Liam.

"Shawn, nice to see you again...babe." he finished in a mumble, leaning down to kiss his cheek, and wrapping his arm around his waist. He just blushed and leaned into the man.

"Hi."

"Hi." He smiled.

"Shawn was just inviting us to dinner, before um...my heat." He mumbled. Liam just smiled warmly down at him.

"Yeah? That was nice of him." Liam looked up at Shawn and said something, but Zayn didn't really hear what he said. His heartbeat quickened, his lips trembled, and he let out a soft whimper. He felt his legs give out underneath him and Liam thankfully caught him.

"Zayn? Zayn babe…" he felt heat bloom in his stomach and he quickly buried his face in the crook of his Alphas next. He felt the man tense, heard a low growl come from behind him and a threatening growl rise in his Alphas chest.

" _Niall…_ "

"I know mate, fuck he just smells...fuck, sorry…" Zayn turned slowly, Niall was backed up against the wall and looking like it was taking everything in him to restrain himself. Shawn's nose was crinkled, and he was looking between the two Alphas worriedly.

"So much for dinner I guess, Liam we need to get Zayn to the inn. Please don't, ah, start banging him in the garden." The worried Omega said. Zayn whimpered and started to rub himself on his Alpha. His abs just felt so hard and... rubbing himself on them felt so _good._

"I... can restrain myself for now." Liam grunted above him, his fingers tightening on Zayn’s hips.

"We need to get you out of here...but there's a _lot_ of Alphas in the courtyard…" Shawn said worriedly. Liam shook his head.

"It's fine...Niall, buddy can you summon-"

" _Yes,_ just...fuck, get him out of here." He growled, pinching his nose closed as he reached down onto his belt and pulled a Poke ball off it. He tossed the ball; Zayn’s hazy eyes didn't recognize the massive black bird that was summoned but wasn't thinking clearly enough to scan it with the Pokédex.

"Corv buddy, get those two to the hotel for me please?" The massive bird cawed uncomfortably, and Niall frowned.

"I know buddy, but he can't help the smell...he's in danger here ok?" The large black bird cawed once before bending down to let passengers aboard his back.

"Thank you Corviknight, thank you Niall, Shawn." Liam said. Niall just nodded.

"No problem Liam, don't worry about a thing...I'll make sure nothing happens while you two are going at it." Shawn giggled next to him.

"Goodbye Liam and bye Zayn! We can do dinner after our heats are done ok?" Zayn nodded slowly at him before another wave hit him and he just whimpered and buried himself further into the Alpha. Liam carried Zayn up onto the bird Pokémon’s back and they quickly took off into the air.

"Don't worry love, we are heading for the room...I'm going to take care of you Zayn."

"M-my…" Liam frowned as the boy huffed, seeming upset.

"D-didn't say anything to my Pokémon…" he mumbled. Liam smiled softly and kissed his forehead.

"I'll take care of it love; you don't need to worry about that." He blinked up at the man.

"How?"

"Have a bit of faith Zayn." The Alpha chuckled. He kissed Zayn and grunted, his hands tightening and his body tensing. 

"Smell wonderful baby, I knew you would…" Omegas need a lot of praise and confirmation that they are being 'good' for their Alpha. Heats make them very vulnerable emotionally. Imagine having all your emotional walls and barriers stripped away, left only with feelings of uncontrollable lust and an incessant worry that you are not performing well for your partner. Heats can be a lot of fun for everyone involved, but an Alpha must always treat their Omegas with care during them.

"Already being so good for me, you're so wonderful Zee." The boy blushed heavily as they landed. The bird Pokémon dipped down to allow Liam off with Zayn firmly clinging to his chest.

"Thanks, Corv." The bird let out a caw and took off. The force of his wings almost blew him off his feet, but he held his ground until the bird was gone. He quickly rushed inside, grateful to see the young Omega that Niall flirted with still working.

"Hi-" Liam couldn't get another word out before Zayn let out a loud and terribly attractive moan as he grinded his hips into Liam's hard stomach. The Omegas nose wrinkled, and he gave Liam a weak smile.

"...I can assume he's in heat?" Liam nodded, it was taking all his effort not to start fucking Zayn right there in the lobby, this was leaving him with a difficulty forming words.

"Right, we have heat nullifying candles for the smell we can set up outside your room. And of course, we can send up anything you might need for it, just call the number on the side of the telephone in your room. Speaking of, do you need help getting to your room…?" Liam shook his head.

"...can handle it, thank you. My room number is...ah...it's…" he blushed as Zayn had started mouthing Liam's neck and biting him in a very hot and sensual manner.

"...whatever number Payne is under." The Omega chuckled.

"Of course, sir, I suggest you hurry to your room now." He nodded and quickly made for the elevator. He was grateful to find it empty and it quickly shut behind him as he tried to get the boy to untuck his face from his neck.

"Zee? Zayn…" the boy slowly whimpered as he hugged the man even closer.

"Almost there." The man mumbled into his ear. He grunted as the boy's scent got even stronger. He growled low and squeezed the boy's hips. 

"Smell so good babe." Zayn moaned at this and grinded up against the man again. The elevator door opened, and Liam quickly regained his senses long enough to get out. He groaned as he pushed the boy up against a nearby wall and began to bite and suck on the boy’s neck.

"Oy! Kids asshole!" He slowly turned his head; an older man was giving them a pissed off look as his two kids (who couldn't have been older than 10) had their eyes covered by his hand.

"Sorry." Liam mumbled as he quickly carried his boy away and down the hall towards the room. His vision was getting hazy, his control lessoning as he approached his door. He pressed Zayn against the door as he struggled to get the keycard swiped so he could get inside. He had just managed to get it unlocked when a nearby door opened. He turned just in time to see another Alpha quickly moving towards him.

Liam felt anger dominate his mind as he snarled and slammed his foot into the approaching Alpha. The young Alpha gasped as he was kicked towards the ground.

"C-c'mon, just give me the Omega! I can-"

"Fuck off, he's mine." Liam growled as he quickly got inside his room and slammed the door closed. He quickly locked all the locks he could as he felt the last of his control slipping away. He carried Zayn to the bed and laid the Omega down, though Zayn still refused to stop clinging to him.

"Zayn, we're in the room... we're safe." The boy whined and squeezed harder. Liam was silent for a few moments after that before suddenly moving his hands from the boy's hips to his bum. He squeezed, the boy whined underneath him and grinded his hips upwards. Liam chuckled darkly at this. He licked his dry lips before whispering into the boy's ear in a husky voice.

"Zayn, look at me." The boy was shaking as he slowly shook his head.

"I-I don't w-want anyone to see me like this, it's embarrassing." The Alpha chuckled again.

"It's just you and I here love...and I want to see you like this." He sniffled; the man ran his fingers through the Omegas soft hair. A minute later, the boy slowly pulled his face back. Red faced, tear flecked eyes, his hair a mess...Liam didn't think he'd ever seen anything more beautiful.

"Beautiful, look so beautiful Zayn." The boy suddenly moaned and his back arched underneath him. Liam shuddered as the boy's scent washed over him. He was none too gentle as he (literally) ripped the boy’s shirt off and started to nip and suck on one of the taut nipples. The boy mewled at this and desperately clung to Liam's shirt and squirmed constantly underneath him.

" _Knot, n-need your knot!_ " The Omega moaned. The Alpha groaned at this and yanked down the boy’s pants and underwear. He quickly pulled away so he could yank them the rest of the way off and toss them away. The boy bit his lip and thrust his hard cock into the air.

"Lee, please...I need you inside me _so bad…_ " Liam quickly yanked off his shirt, Zayn was practically panting at the sight. The boy was running extremely hot now, it made his body glisten, proving to make Liam even hornier. He himself had started to feel hot and used his shirt to wipe his face off before quickly pulling down his pants and underwear. Zayn moaned at the sight of his Alphas swollen cock.

"F-fuck Liam, please I need you so badly!" He whined. Liam took his hardness in hand and gently stroked himself.

"Course love…" he smiled softly as he grabbed the boy's legs and wrapped them around his waist. He sat over the Omega on his knees, his cock now probing his slick hole.

"Could probably put it in now, bet it wouldn't even hurt." Liam chuckled as he kissed Zayn’s cheek. The boy whimpered.

" _Then do it_."

"Course, gonna make you cum with just my dick." He chuckled. Zayn took a heavy breath as the Alpha adjusted his hips to better line up with his cock. Zayn shivered, even through the haze of his heat it occurred to him that he was about to go all the way with Liam.

"Hey...I know we haven't gone this far yet and we are moving kind of fast-" Liam’s words were cut short as the boy leaned up to pull him into a desperate kiss.

" _Knot me Alpha._ " The boy whimpered into his ear. The man groaned as he wasted no more time and began pushing inside. Zayn mewled and had to bury his face in his man's neck as the feeling of being entered overwhelmed him. He panted heavily as his felt himself getting stretched. The pain in his heat was quickly being replaced by overwhelming pleasure. Toys certainly helped during heats...but the difference between a toy and the real thing became startlingly clear for Zayn.

Liam may have ruined him...he's not sure if he will ever be able to go back to using toys again after this.

" _Leeyum-!"_ The Alpha shuddered, his breath caught in his throat as the Omega came all over himself _just_ as he fully sheathed himself in the Omega’s heat. Zayn squirmed and moaned under him as he covered himself in cum without a single touch.

The boys heat pheromones overwhelmed the normally very levelheaded Alpha. He wanted to give Zayn a minute to adjust...but he was not sure if he could wait any longer. 

" _Gonna start baby, hold on to me Zee_." The man whispered huskily into his ear. The boy wrapped his arms around Liam's neck. The man groaned as the boy's legs around his waist tightened, pushing him even farther inside.

He began a gentle pace, wanting to drag out the heaven his dick was currently in. Warm, soft, tight, wet, wonderful, _amazing…_

He gasped softly as he was suddenly pushing himself fully inside and cumming. He bit softly into the Omega’s neck and began leaving a hickey, needing something to hang on to as he had probably one of the best orgasms of his life. His knot had swollen but not fully formed yet, he just needed a moment to recover before he would continue and knot. Zayn was practically purring at Liam's explosion and marking the man with his scent rather aggressively.

"See how good you are? Came so quick in you babe." Zayn hummed and rubbed the man's sweaty chest.

" _Want more Alpha_ …!" He gasped softly and started thrusting his hips at Liam.

 _"Fuck me_!" Liam groaned at this. Zayn was caught off guard as suddenly Liam flipped their positions. Liam was now lying flat on his back as Zayn sat in his lap, the man's massive member still buried deep inside him.

"I like how you squirm Zayn... c'mon baby…" the man leaned up to kiss the Omega as his hands squeezed the boy's hips.

"Make me knot Zee, take it for yourself." Zayn smiled softly at this, fire and lust burning in his eyes. He pushed on the man's chest, who smirked as he let himself be pushed back onto the bed. Zayn took a few experimental movements before beginning. He'd never been in this position before and it took him a few tries to find a good position and rhythm that worked for him.

His hands rested on the man's chiseled abs as he swiveled his hips and took the man out about halfway before pushing him fully back inside. Liam kept his knees bent so the boy could fall backwards if need be, one hand squeezed his hip while the other gently ran over the Omega's body.

"You're a natural." Liam groaned with a smile. Zayn moaned at this as his heat suddenly began to ache again. This felt _amazing_ but only one thing was going to quell the fire raging inside him…

He quickened his pace, moaning loudly in pleasure as he pushed down harder onto the man's abs.

" _Fuck_." The Alpha moaned underneath him. Zayn took his rigid hardness in hand and started to tug.

" _Leeyum_!" Zayn cried out as he was suddenly cumming all over the man's abs. Liam's nostrils flared at the smell and his body tensed as he felt the hot lines of cum decorate his abs and chest. He thrusted up into the boy, overcome in the last moments by lust, just a few times before that was it, he was finished. He pushed fully inside the boy's heat and felt his knot fill, locking them in place. Liam grit his teeth as his Omega fell backwards onto his legs.

Cum poured out of the Alpha, his eyes fluttered, and he moaned softly as pleasure filled his body.

"Knots are great." Zayn suddenly mumbled out. Liam blinked in surprise before laughing weakly.

"Like my knot Zee?"

"I love your knot Leeyum…" the boys eyes fluttered open. Liam was taken aback by the sad look his Omega was giving him.

"W-was I ok? D-did I do a good job-" Liam growled at this, shutting the boy up immediately. He felt his knot finish and swell down, so he gently pulled himself out of the boy before leaning up to cup his boy’s cheeks.

"Baby boy, Zayn...don't you dare go and doubt yourself. You already forget how you made me cum in half a minute? You already forget how you rode me like a pro and made me knot? No…" Liam kissed the now crying boy, tears of relief and happiness.

"You don't doubt yourself right now, you are my good Omega. So good for me Zayn…"

" _Leeyum…_ " the boy sniffled.

"Yes Zee?" He replied with a fond smile and gentle hands massaging the Omega’s neck.

"Thank you." The man kissed his cheek and the two slowly snogged for a few seconds.

"Your welcome."

* * *

Time passed and Zayn was passed out, exhausted from a 2-hour love-making session. Liam quickly showered to get the heavy scent of his Omega off him before heading out. He dressed and kissed the sweaty, naked Omega’s forehead before leaving. Never to leave things to chance, he pulled out his Incineroar as he walked out. He tossed the Pokémon out and nodded at him. 

"Need you to make sure he doesn't leave the room alright? And anyone that tries to walk in and isn't me-"

"Destroy them." The cat said with a roll of his eyes.

"Minimal property damage." Liam chuckled as he started down the hall. His Pokémon just scoffed at that and leaned lazily back against the door. He made his way out of the hotel and pulled out three more Poke balls. He walked into the nearby Poké Center and asked for a private Pokémon Transfer booth. After a brief wait, he quickly made his way inside. It was a small square little room with plain grey walls and a plain brown door. A single fan sat overhead, spinning slowly, and illuminating the room in a soft golden glow. The transfer machine sat in front of him, a tall grey machine with glowing sky-blue lines making a Poke ball image on the side. There was a monitor and keyboard in front of him, along with six slots to the left and right of the machine where Poke balls would fit. The left is for sending and the right for receiving.

He tossed out Blaziken and told him he'd need to translate before tossing the other two out.

"Frost, Celebi." Liam said with a smile.

"Celebi!"

"Hello." Blaze said behind him. Froslass spoke.

"What do you want human?"

"I'll just cut right to it, Zayn is in heat and the safest place for you two right now would be at the lab of Professor Pine."

"Froslass"

"Who?"

"He is a colleague of mine; he's been helping Niall and I keep an eye and a clue as to what Team Rocket is doing. He lives in Fayz City…" Celebi huffed in annoyance and repeated her name a few times.

"She says she doesn't like cities; she wants to go explore the forest." Liam's brow furrowed.

"I know Celebi, but it's not safe for that right now. I promise once Zayn’s done; you'll be free to explore a little bit...of course you have to stay invisible." Celebi hummed and tapped her chin thoughtfully before holding out her tiny hand.

"Deal." Liam laughed and shook with his index and thumb. Froslass spoke again suddenly.

"She wants to know how long this will take."

"It depends Frost, I don't know how his heats work yet. My best guess is one to three days." Frost's eyes narrowed and she covered her mouth with her arm as she scoffed and looked away.

"She says you and Zayn are very strange." He quirked an eyebrow.

"How's that Frost?" She spoke again.

"She says you are strangely close for being practical strangers." He snorted.

"We aren't strangers-" the Pokémon quickly interrupted him.

"It's only been a few days; you are as much a stranger as I am. That…" he turned to look at Blaziken, who had stopped talking and was now frowning.

"That...thing around his neck is dangerous and you are ignoring it like a fool." He frowned.

"I'm well aware how dangerous it is." The Pokémon narrowed her eyes.

"You know...what it is?" Liam's eyes darkened, he remained silent, but it was enough for Froslass.

"You humans play with Pokémon like they are toys, even though many of us could wipe you lot off the face of the planet without a second thought…" he frowned.

"Frost-"

"If you know what it is and how dangerous it is, why haven't you taken it from him yet?" He frowned.

"I... considered it, but it's _his_ Pokémon, I can't just take it-"

"What kind of reasoning is that!? If a child discovers a gun or a knife and decides that it's theirs now, do you let them keep it!? Or do you do the responsible thing and _take it away before they kill themselves!?_ " He snarled at her, feeling anger suddenly swell up inside him from seemingly nowhere. She flinched in surprise and floated a few inches back, Celebi chimed unhappily next to her and looked back and forth between the two in worry. 

"Zayn is _not_ a child! He knows what he is doing, and I trust him. I may not know everything about him yet, but I know enough to know that _I trust him_." Froslass frowned and narrowed her eyes. She spoke, it was a few seconds before Blaziken translated.

"...fine, let's just go to this Pine person, I'm done with this conversation." He nodded slowly, flexing his fingers as he returned them to their current homes and began dialing up Professor Pine.

"...she is right you know." He slowly hit enter and the machine began to call up Pine. He turned on his Blaziken and frowned.

"...you agree with her?"

"You put too much trust in Zayn because you love him." He scoffed.

"I don't-"

"Liam, I've been with you since you were a little boy and I was just a Torchic you found dying in the rain. I don't say this out of malice, I say this out of concern...you are letting your feelings for him cloud your judgement." Liam tensed and cracked his knuckles, not sure how to reply.

"Blaze-"

"You know what is in that Master Ball."

"Yes, I do Blaze-"

"It is a murderer Liam."

"I know-"

"It killed Eevee-"

" _I said I know!_ " He snapped. Blaziken’s wrists flared with fire, his eyes grew angry and dangerous.

" _Umm...should I call back?"_ The two blinked in surprise and turned to stare at the computer screen. Professor Pine was a very handsome, middle-aged black man with short black hair and a full and bushy black beard that covered his neck and reached down to the middle of his chest. He wore thick, dark green glasses and Liam was pretty sure he never saw the man without his trademark brown and green cardigan. Liam smiled softly as the man’s Meowth popped its head into frame and let out a loud call of its name

"Ah, sorry Professor…"

" _It's alright, I was expecting the call just...you two ok? If you need more time to talk_ -" Blaziken and him both shook their heads.

"No, I don't want to waste anymore of your time Charlie." The man's eyes narrowed.

" _Boy…you know you best start calling me Professor Pine._ " Liam laughed weakly.

"Right...sorry Professor Pine." The man nodded.

" _Better. So, can I assume I am about to have a new house guest?"_

"Two. I'm about to send over Celebi and Froslass for a few days while Zayn is in heat…" the professor chuckled.

" _Well now, when you messaged me earlier it was 'Mr. Malik'. Though I suppose I shouldn't be too shocked, judging by that massive hickey on your neck._ " Liam felt his cheeks heat up. He let out a weak cough and nodded.

"Ah, yeah, anyway-" the man chuckled.

" _Go ahead and send them over._ " Liam nodded.

"Right-"

" _Hope you enjoy your well-deserved break kiddo_." The video ended and Liam placed the two balls into the machine. He hit send and watched as they suddenly began to glow bright blue before suddenly disappearing all together.

" _Transfer successfully completed, have a nice day!"_ The machine chimed. He nodded before taking a deep breath and turning to look at Blaziken.

"I'm...sorry for yelling Blaze." The Pokémon nodded slowly; his own eyes downcast.

"I...am as well Liam." He looked up at the trainer.

"That monster _terrifies me_ Liam. I'll stay by your side, but my feelings about this will be known." Liam smiled weakly at him.

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"When the time comes…give the order and I'll take it from him before he can use it. I will always be ready." Liam huffed and cracked his knuckles. He looked slowly up at his oldest friend and nodded.

"Ok...ok." Blaze nodded.

"Now, speaking of, you should get back to him." His eyes widened; this had all taken _way_ longer than he meant for it too. 

"Shit, right…" he rushed out of the building and jogged right towards the inn.

"So, you want to stay in the Poke ball during all this or you want to head out with Incineroar to Oda’s dojo?" Blaze shrugged.

"It would be nice to train with him again...will you be alright?"

"Still got Aggron and Big Sis, I'll be fine." He nodded.

"Then I'll go with Incineroar." He nodded as they rode the elevator back to their floor.

"He started crying not too long ago but stopped." Liam's big cat said as they approached. He frowned and nodded.

"Alright...you two can head for Oda’s, I'll be fine here." The cat sighed happily and nodded.

"Good, something to do."

"Don't cause problems and be respectful of Mr. Kaneda, I won't be happy if I hear you were disrespectful." The cat rolled its eyes but nodded.

"Yeah yeah…"

"And keep an eye on Growlithe, you know how...nosy he can get." Incineroar shook his head.

"Fine, we will make sure the little twerp doesn't get into trouble."

"Alright…" he patted his Pokémon’s shoulders before nodding and giving them smiles.

"Have fun you two." They left and Liam made his way back inside. He leaned back against the door, his boy was panting softly as he slept, the covers were mostly pushed off, only covering his private bits and one of his legs. Liam shivered as the boy suddenly moaned and gently thrust his hips up and off the bed. The covers pushed off him and his hardness became exposed to the air. Liam moved slowly forward, the closer he got the more Zayn squirmed and whimpered. He pulled off all his clothes except his underwear and laid down next to him. Liam smiled softly at the boy and caressed his sweaty cheek.

"Ah-!" The boy moaned loudly and bit his lip as he opened his eyes slowly. He turned, blushing as he found his Alpha watching him with blown eyes and tense muscles. 

"L-Lee-"

"M'here now baby…" Zayn whimpered into the man's lips as he kissed him and pulled the boy flush against his chest. 

"Need you…"

"I'm yours." Liam mumbled as they kissed. The boy laughed weakly as he shivered at the man's touch.

"Thank you…" he gasped as Liam bit his neck and pushed him into the mattress as he explored the Omegas body with his hot hands.

"You're welcome baby."

**Niall**

He watched the couple leave on his Corviknight and sighed as he felt he could finally relax. An Omega in heat...nearly impossible to resist such a smell. He turned slowly and smiled warmly as he noticed the nearby Omega quickly divert his eyes. He smirked confidently as he approached the blushing Omega. He knew most Alphas would have issues with an Omega who was taller than them...but Niall had never given a fuck about things like that. Niall liked what he liked, and currently the human he liked was the cute Gym Leader standing in front of him.

"Niall Horan, Gym Leader of Fayz City." The Omega blushed at this and bit his lip.

"Oh, ah...I'm Shawn, um, Mendes...Gym Leader of...this… _place…_ " the boy mentally smacked himself for being such a dork and held out his hand. They shook, Niall gently squeezed his soft hand and let it linger for longer than necessary. Shawn swallowed slowly and bit his lip.

"It's _very_ nice to meet you love." Niall smirked as they let go of each other's hands.

"Ah, so-"

"So, I hear you have recently cancelled dinner plans? That's no good, you need to eat...how about I treat you to dinner instead eh?" Shawn was red head to toe now, he coughed and couldn't hide the slight tremor in his hand. 

"Y-yes! I-I mean ah, yeah, sure, why not?" Niall grinned.

"Awesome. Where do ya wanna go? I'm afraid I don't know the local restaurants very well." Shawn smiled brightly at this.

"My favorite place around here is Belladonna's, it's an Italian restaurant right next to the waterfall." Niall grinned.

"Belladonna's it is!" Shawn blushed.

"I ah...before we go, I should shower and change…" Niall laughed.

"Your master got me pretty sweaty and gross so that's ok. Let's head back to our places and clean up yeah? Where do you live, I'll pick you up around 7?" Shawn blushed.

"I have a cottage right next to the Gym, you can't miss it... and 7 is perfect." Niall went to speak, but suddenly his Corviknight cawed loudly as it landed back in the garden.

"Trip was fine? Thanks, Corv, remind me I owe you a big fat meaty steak." The bird cawed excitedly as it bent down to let him on.

"I'll see you tonight Shawn…" the Omega nodded, he tried to act nonchalant, but he couldn't hide how excited he was.

"Definitely, see you tonight Niall…" Niall jumped up onto the bird's back. He smirked at the Omega and gave a little wink as his bird Pokémon took off into the air and headed for the inn.

* * *

"Aren't we supposed to be keeping an eye out for Team Rocket? Why are you going on a date with an Omega?" He smiled and turned on his Jolteon. He just got out of the shower, he'd thrown on some grey boxer briefs and was now trying to decide what he should wear for the date. His best friend and first Pokémon Jolteon was sitting on the bed, seeming unhappy with him as he held up clothes in front of him while he looked in the mirror. 

"It's fine, nothing's going to happen to the two of them. And you said yourself just a few days ago I should stop having one-night stands and actually try to date." The Pokémon cocked its head. 

"You are actually going to try to date this one? Why?" Niall shrugged.

"He's cute and I'm interested." Jolteon’s eyes rolled.

"So, you know nothing then, you just like him because he is easy on the eyes." Niall shook his head.

"Isn't that enough?"

"For you? Clearly it is." Niall chuckled, his Jolteon had always been critical of him and his love life. In a lot of ways, his Pokémon reminded him of his father. Always watching over him, telling him when he was being an idiot, giving him tons of shit for being an idiot. But it all came from a place of love and the two had formed a very close and deep bond over the years, maturing into their current relationship when Niall's father died many years back.

"Think I'll wear green." He mumbled as he tossed the red T back onto the bed and pulled on the green one instead. Comfortable jeans and black sneakers completed the outfit.

"So?" Jolteon rolled his eyes.

"You look fine." 

"Need a haircut." Niall grumbled as he played with his hair. His Pokédex suddenly began to ring and he quickly plucked it off the bed.

" _Ay! Tommo!"_ Niall grinned. Louis Tomlinson had been letting his hair grow out, the man sported a shaggy mane and Niall couldn't help but notice it was messy. 

"Someone been tugging on your hair mate?" Niall snickered. Louis smirked.

" _Harry's in heat man, I'm just taking a break to see how guard duty was going?"_ Niall chuckled.

"Damn, guess it's just the time of the month. I'm doing great man, about to go out on a date with the Paradise Falls Gym leader...who is also about to go into heat." Louis scowled at him.

" _Niall! You better treat Shawn well; he is a sweet kid. Harry and he get along well too, so if you upset Harry I'll be pissed. And anyway mate, aren't you supposed to be guarding Liam and the Malik kid?"_

"They're fine, Jolteon is keeping an eye out. And... you know, Volt." Louis's eyes widened.

" _You have Volt out? Seriously? No supervision…?_ " Niall just shook his head.

"Volts fine, she knows these woods...used to live in them. Where do you think I caught her? She won't go on a murder rampage." Louis nodded slowly.

" _Alright_... _you know what you're doing. Sorry, just a bit on edge. This Team Rocket business is stressing me out._ " Niall nodded and frowned. 

"Yeah, sorry about that Louis...speaking of, how's Cinder City?" The Alpha smirked.

" _Giant metal city with every shop imaginable, a massive beach and beautiful tropic resort...I absolutely hate it here, dunno what to do with myself._ " Niall laughed at that.

"Well relax and enjoy mate, we will be heading that way once everyone's heats are done and Zayn beats Shawn."

" _Assuming he can beat him. Kid isn't a pushover -_ "

" _Louisssss-!_ " Lou froze and suddenly looked up and above the camera.

" _Love, go back to bed, I'll be right in ok?"_ Niall smiled weakly as he heard a soft, sad sounding 'ok'.

" _I got to go._ " Niall chuckled.

"Go, good luck with Harry, send him my love...fuck knows you'll be sending him yours." Louis snickered and flipped him off before hanging up. Niall sighed as memories of three idiot friends playing together entered his head. So much had changed in just a few years…

"You daydream too much." He smirked and scratched his nose as he stood.

"Yeah…"

He walked out of his room and slowly strolled down the hall, Jolt trotting along next to him. He smiled as he approached the front desk.

"Hello! I'd like to buy my dear friend Liam Payne a bottle of champagne." It was that same cute inn employee from earlier, Niall remembers because-

"You know, since your lame and got yourself a boyfriend, I went out and took your advice."

"Oh yeah?" The boy chuckled as he wrote up the order for Niall.

"Yup, I'm on my way to pick up the gym leader for a date." Niall grinned. The boy looked up in surprise before laughing.

"You did not!"

"I very much did! I'll bring him here myself and prove it to ya!" He grinned. The Omega just snorted and shook his head.

"Crazy man." Niall laughed as he quickly paid for the drink.

"Have fun on your date!" He waved as he turned and walked outside.

"You’ll flirt with anything that has a pulse."

"Aw, how was that flirting?" He quipped as he stared down at Jolteon. The Pokémon went to answer but stopped as he realized the pair had been approached. 

"Excuse me, could you help us? I'm afraid we are a bit lost…" he was an older looking Alpha man, his hair was cut short and was a mix of stone grey and snow white. He wore a tight looking T-shirt that showed off surprisingly muscular arms. Behind him was a beautiful girl with long, curled, dark brown (nearly black) hair. Another Alpha, she wore a loose-fitting black tank top and shorts. She wore large aviators on her head and didn't seem to be paying attention to them as she texted on her Pokédex.

"Well, I'm a bit new to the area myself but I'll help if I can." Niall chuckled weakly. The man smiled and a chill ran up Niall's spine. He couldn't really explain it, the man seemed nice enough...yet every nerve in Niall's body was standing on high end.

Niall considered himself a good judge of character, so despite only being in this pairs presence for a few seconds…

Every bone in his body was telling him to run away

"Simon, Simon Cowell." The man held out his hand, Niall didn't want to touch the man, but he knew the man hadn't done anything… yet. Niall nodded and bit back his anxiety so he could shake the man's hand.

"Niall, Niall Horan." The man's hand was rough and very strong. The man gave him a curious look as they let go.

"Horan? I feel like I know that name...are you famous?" Niall chuckled weakly, struggling to keep his dislike off his face.

"Ah, yeah...I'm the Gym Leader of Fayz City." Simon's eyes widened at that, Niall noticed his...whatever, the woman with him finally looked up at this.

"Really...ah! Now I remember, I saw you on the news when you became the Gym Leader! My, the 7th Gym Leader...I had no idea I was in the presence of a celebrity!" Simon turned on the aviator wearing woman.

"Camila! Did you hear that?"

"I did...pity you're an Alpha. You're so cute...and strong…" Simon tsked at that as Niall's anxiety got a little worse. Something about how she said that… like a dangerous animal that had lost interest in its prey.

"Please don't mind her, she's been stuck in a car for hours. She's a bit moody." He said nothing as the man suddenly laughed.

"We got _very_ off topic. I was hoping you could give us directions…"

"What are you looking for?"

"The Gym. I'm afraid neither of us has ever been here before…" he nodded.

"It's on the other side of the waterfall...there's a sidewalk that leads into it. You'll see the signs…"

"Ah! Of course, thank you Mr. Horan...you been in the area long?" Niall felt like he shouldn’t give this guy any information whatsoever.

"Yeah, a while…"

"So, what brought you-"

"I'm sorry mate, but I really have to be leaving. Hope I was able to help…" he turned on his heel and quickly walked away.

"Well, bye then!" The man called. Jolteon said nothing until they were far away from the two strangers.

"They gave me the creeps." Niall chuckled.

"Yeah, shit, they gave me the creeps too…"

"We should keep an eye on them." Niall nodded and grabbed a plain old Poke Ball from his pack. He tossed it out and the Pokémon yawned and stretched as it gave him a curious look.

"Sup Boss?"

"Zeraora. Have a good nap?" The yellow, bipedal feline hummed and tapped his chin with one of his sharp claws.

"I suppose so. Hopefully, you got something exciting for me to do, warm me up because I feel stiff." He smiled.

"Got a job for you and Jolt…"

**Zayn**

The boy panted heavily as the Alpha slowly placed biting kisses to his hips. His body had been covered in love bites, all that was left was his hips...an atrocity that Liam was correcting.

" _Leeyum-!_ " He whimpered as the man's hands squeezed his thighs and his teeth bit softly into the boy's smooth skin.

"Yes?" The boy hummed and bit his lip as Liam suddenly moved up and began sucking and nipping at his perked nipple.

"Y-your mouth- _ah!_ " He gripped the man's hair and tugged. The Alpha chuckled darkly at this and drug his prickly beard over the boy's chest as he came up for a kiss.

"What about my mouth love?" The Omega bit his lip.

"It...it…feels _really_ good." Liam smirked.

"Really? I had no…" he suddenly buried his face in the Omegas neck and started to suck and bite the skin. Zayn moaned as the Alpha chuckled above him.

"...idea." a sudden knock on the door caused them both to freeze. 

" _Room service! I can leave the cart outside if need be!_ "

"Yes please, I'll grab it in a minute!" He yelled.

" _Of course, sir, have a nice night!_ " He smiled down at the Omega and kissed him.

"Up for some food?" Zayn sighed happily. 

"Fuck yes I'm starving." Liam chuckled.

"I'd imagine so...haven't stopped having sex for a few hours now." Zayn giggled and hugged his Alpha.

"And I'm completely ok with that."

"Ditto." The man chuckled. He gave the nude Omegas bum a gentle spank before walking over to his bag to throw on some sweats. He smiled as the boy giggled and tossed a pillow at him. He caught it easily and stuck his tongue out at him before strolling up to the door, tossing the pillow back on the bed. He opened the door and grabbed the cart. As he pulled the cart inside, his eyes wandered up and he caught the eye of an older looking Alpha man. He was standing just down the hall, standing behind him and also staring was a very beautiful Alpha girl with extremely dark brown hair and a very intense look in her eyes.

"Can I help you?" He said, frowning at the pair.

"Oh! Sorry, don't mind us…" he turned on his companion.

"Come along Camila." The girl just giggled and quickly trotted down the hall. The two left his sight and Liam continued to frown. That was... strange.

"Lee?" He quickly shook his head at his Omega's voice and brought the cart inside and closed the door.

"Sorry babe…" the Omega gave him a curious look as he brought the cart over to the table.

"Everything ok?" He just nodded and hugged the nude boy and kissed his temple.

"Fine, everything's fine."

**Simon**

"How interesting." He chuckled as they strolled up the stairs to find their room.

"Wasn't that Payne? I thought they weren't going to show up for a couple days still?" Camila asked. He smiled.

"Indeed, that's what makes it so interesting my little cat."

"So, Shiva's intelligence was wrong?" He hummed thoughtfully as he approached their room and unlocked the door.

"Perhaps...or perhaps Shiva knew he'd be in heat and wanted us to wait."

"Why?" He smirked.

"Because, she wanted us to bring him in _alive_ remember?" Camila giggled at this as they walked inside, and she flopped onto the bed.

"That's fair I guess...playing with Omegas in heat is _so_ much fun."

"Now now, I know the idea is... tempting. But she made it very clear he was to be _completely_ unharmed." She blew a raspberry at that and he just chuckled again as he slowly opened one of his two suitcases.

"Fine, if we can't mess with him until his heat is done...can we still play with the Gym Leader? I want to _so_ bad!" He smiled, a dark and dangerous look in his eye.

"Of course, my little cat…I promised, didn't I?" She squealed happily before sighing dreamily and looking at the photo she had saved in her 'playmates' folder in her Pokédex.

"I bet you scream so beautifully." She sighed.

**Niall**

He knocked softly on the wooden door and waited. He was standing outside Shawn's cottage. It was a cute little cottage, white with dark green shutters and a dark green roof covered in leaves from a nearby tree. There was a small stone path leading up to the door and a lovely flower garden to the left of it with a vegetable garden to the right. He smiled as he noticed a couple Bulbasaur and Shawn's massive Venusaur using their vines to take care of said veggie garden. The Pokémon all looked at him with curiosity occasionally and smiled at him as he would give them an easy smile with a little wave. He noticed the Venusaur seemed friendly enough towards him, and even nodded as he nodded back, but he didn’t miss how it kept a cautious eye on him. That made him happy, it meant Shawn had a powerful Pokémon protecting him. The door opened and he turned back around at the sound.

His heart did little flip-flops in his chest, Shawn cleaned up well. His hair had been styled up on his head, but a single strand was left hanging down on his forehead. He wore a loose-fitting white button up that he had tucked into tight black dress pants. A pair of black boots and a silver necklace with a silver ring on it completed the outfit. Niall smiled as the young Gym Leader blushed and gave him a flustered smile in return.

"H-hi."

"Hi...you look lovely tonight Shawn." He grinned. The Omega blushed and coughed nervously.

"O-oh, um, thank you Niall. You look... hot…" he snickered as the Omega blushed heavily and looked away, embarrassed.

"Thank you." He held out his arm and Shawn looked down in surprise before smiling softly and threading his arm through Niall's.

"So... you're going to have to lead, I have no idea where we are going." Niall chuckled. Shawn nodded quickly.

"Y-yeah! Of course, no problem…" he closed the door behind him as they began making their way down the stone pathway.

"Heading out to dinner Venus, we'll be back in a few hours!" The Venusaur looked up and let out a happy call of her name and Niall gave her a serious nod as the Pokémon gave him one more little warning look.

* * *

"So, so wait …" Shawn was giggling loudly as Niall gave him a baffled look.

"Your Venusaur beat the old man's Machamp? _Shawn_ , that is...I'm so impressed. I beat the old man when I came through for my badge, but the only fight I lost was against Machamp. Could never beat that 4-armed beast..."

Belladonna's Italian restaurant was a quaint building illuminated by the light of a few dozen lanterns. To its right were a few shops, the Poke center, and what looked to Niall like a bicycle store. To its left, a small parking lot mostly filled with bicycles, a motorcycle, and a van. And just beyond that, the mighty Paradise Falls itself. Its glistening blue waters a constant background noise but never loud enough to be a nuisance.

The pair were sitting in a private gazebo just outside the restaurant. It was reserved always for the Gym Leader, a thank you from the restaurant to Shawn after he had saved their kitchen from a group of food stealing Munchlax. The ceiling was lit by a series of hanging string lights that filled the area with a warm golden glow. The only noises around them were that of the falls and the faint sound of people inside the restaurant. The sun was beginning to set in the sky and painted everything in a soft orange glow, Niall knew it would be dark soon…he didn’t much care, he could find himself sitting here all night long.

The Omega smiled softly at the handsome Alpha. He had been feeling very warm and fuzzy the last hour they'd spent talking and eating. He knew it was because of this Alpha; this beautiful and very kind Alpha. He’d been romanced by quite a few Alpha who came through, mostly tourists looking for a quick lay. Not to say that wasn’t what he wanted sometimes, but what he really wanted was something…real. A guy who made his pulse race a little every time their eyes met. Who made him want to be reckless and stupid and uncaring because they have each other. Someone who was interested in _him,_ wanted to listen to _him._

Niall wasn’t there yet, but so far, he’d blown every other Alpha out of the water…and they weren’t even done eating yet.

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. Venusaur and I are pretty tough." Niall smirked at that.

"We should have a friendly match one day then." Shawn's eyebrows furrowed and he gave a nervous laugh.

"Yeah...no offense, but I've seen a few of your battles...I wouldn't stand a chance against you." He laughed.

"Ahhh nonsense. I can't say I've seen any of your battles, but I'm sure you'd do fine." He hummed.

"Heh, well, if I'm being honest… I'd rather do something other than fighting with you…" the Omega blushed heavily and quickly covered his face, mortified. Niall grinned as the young man shook his head.

"I... sorry, I get... _forward_ …right before my, um, heats…" Niall laughed and shook his head.

"It's alright…I don't mind."

"I'm sure you don't." The Omega chuckled. Niall reached forward and held out a hand. The boy smiled softly down at it through his fingers and lowered his hands so he could squeeze it.

"Don't feel like I'm pressuring you, I'm not...but you know, if you needed help with your heat...I could…"

"Y-yeah! Yes, I would love if you, um…" Shawn blushed again and Niall laughed.

"You're adorable, I want you to know that." Shawn blushed as Niall gave his hand one more squeeze before letting go as the waiter approached.

"Hi, can I get you two anything?"

"Just a couple refills…" Shawn said, seeming to regain his composure. The young Alpha woman smiled and nodded before taking their empty cups and heading back inside.

"So, Shawn...how did you end up becoming the old man's replacement?" The boy smiled as he slowly moved the spaghetti on his plate.

"Ah, well Master Kaneda…" he paused as the waiter approached and brought them both refills. He thanked her before turning back and smiling.

"Master Kaneda was really good friends with my Mom…" he frowned suddenly.

"My mom and dad divorced when I was 7. He lives in Fayz City, so I went back and forth between there and here a lot growing up...it was two years ago, and I was in Fayz City visiting my dad when I... found out." He got a sad look in his eye.

"My mom...was in an accident. It wasn't anyone's fault. She was at home during a real bad thunderstorm, the locals said it was the worst one they'd ever seen. A strong blast of thunder struck a tree and it...fell onto her home. It knocked over a support beam inside and it hit her on the head...she died a few hours later in the hospital." Niall felt his heart ache for the boy. He reached forward and squeezed Shawn's hand.

"Shawn, that's awful, I'm so sorry…" he shook his head and smiled weakly down at the hand.

"It's ok Niall, it's wasn’t anybody’s fault…" his eyes darkened.

"It was that _Pokemon’s_ fault." Niall's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" He was taken aback to see the boy's eyes fill with anger.

"The night of the thunderstorm...it wasn't just lightning and rain that filled the sky. Multiple people said that they heard the loud cries of a legendary Pokémon that night. Its name is Zapdos if you've ever heard of it. Apparently, it's lived in this area for a long time and every few years it creates really violent thunderstorms…" he let go of Niall's hand and squeezed his own hands together.

"After my mom's funeral, I was in... a dark place. Anger, lots, and lots of anger. I wanted to get stronger, better... I wanted revenge." He sighed.

"I was 18 and could make my own choices, so I decided to stay here and train. Thankfully, Master Kaneda could see that darkness brewing in me and stepped in. He offered to train me, and I accepted. During that first year, Master helped me, and my Pokémon become formidable. But it was also during all of this...that Master helped me move on." Niall's heart fell as the young Omegas eyes got a bit misty. He sniffled and quickly rubbed his eyes on his sleeves as Niall slowly retracted his hand.

"Sorry…"

"You've nothing to apologize for." Niall said in a soft voice.

"Anyway…I've made peace with it. I miss her still, so much, but I've made my peace with it…" he sighed.

"I became so much stronger in a lot of ways...as Master says, her death led me to become the man I am today...just one more way she influenced me, I guess. " He shook his head.

"Sorry, sorry just...heat. I get really emotional and stuff like that just comes pouring out of me…" Niall nodded and took a drink of his lemon water because he felt very dehydrated suddenly.

"It's ok, it's been...two years, but that's a pain that doesn't go away...just thinking about my dad stings, 5 years later." Shawn nodded.

"Yeah...the thing that honestly helped me move on the most was when Master and I traveled to Zapdos’s home...it's this grove in the forest with a massive tree in the middle. It's a bird type Pokémon so it has a nest...when we got there though, it was empty. We waited by the tree for an entire day and it never showed. I showed up for two weeks, every day for a few hours to see if it would show…. but it never did. Master says it might have moved on...but it doesn't really matter. I don't care anymore. My Pokémon and I all became powerful, and Master honored me with his position… I’m at peace." He shrugged and downed his water; Niall felt a bit ill suddenly.

"So, Niall what...what...um…" Niall's eyes fluttered and he frowned as Shawn's eyes blinked in confusion and he slowly slumped back into his chair.

"What...what…?"

"Sh-Shawn…?" He grunted as he tried to stand up, but found his body was frozen.

"Slime from a Lickitung...mixed into a liquid, then mixed with lemon to hide the taste. It causes temporary paralysis in humans. It's quite handy…" he watched a figure appear behind Shawn, Niall couldn't look up, but he knew who it was.

"Simon, Cowell...very nice to meet you Mr. Mendes." He cupped the paralyzed boy's chin and forced him to look up. He wore a black turtleneck with a massive red R on the front and black pants with black shoes.

"I am a Squad Leader for Team Rocket… you know who we are I presume?" Shawn grunted and grit his teeth, but no words escaped his lips.

"Judging by that scared and angry look in your eye...I'd say you do." He let him go, then bent down so he was now looking Niall in the eye across the table.

"My rude Gym Leader friend! I had a hunch you were going to be here tonight…"

"H...h….h-help…" Niall managed to mutter out. Simon blinked in surprise before laughing.

"My, you must be a tough Alpha if you can still talk...but alas, it won't help you...my dear Camila is currently making sure everyone in the restaurant is... restrained." He slowly circled the table and sat down on it. He forced Niall too look up at him by roughly grabbing his cheeks with one hand.

"So, since you can talk...tell me, what are you doing here? And I don't mean your crummy little date with the Omega behind me. Liam Payne is also here...did he call you here? It can't be a coincidence…" Niall growled and tried so hard to move but could only barely make his vocal cords work.

"F-fuck...you…" he chuckled and squeezed his cheeks painfully.

"You should cooperate...the more trouble you give me...the more trouble I'll give the boy behind me.” Niall felt cold rage fill his body, he gave the man a death glare. Simon just shook his head.

"Just tell me what I want to know…why are you here...and why is Shiva so interested in that boy? The Malik kid…" an angry growl from behind. Simon slowly turned his head and found a Jolteon sitting on a nearby railing and sparking with electricity. Simon chuckled.

"Ah, I was wondering where you were…" he grinned and gave a low whistle. Jolteon quickly turned its head, but not quick enough. The snake Pokémon Ekans suddenly shot out from a nearby bush and tackled Jolteon onto the table. Simon quickly grabbed Shawn and threw him over his shoulder and began walking off.

"Have fun with the snake!" He snarled and shook his body, trying desperately to move as his Jolteon let out angry cries and fought the vicious Ekans all over the gazebo.

"Yo boss, this is gonna sting…" he suddenly screamed as he felt a clawed paw press onto his back and electricity shot through his system. He groaned as he fell forward onto the table but caught himself.

"Thanks…. Zeraora…" 

"Yo, no problemo…" the cat suddenly shot forward and landed a solid kick to the Ekans body. The snake hissed loudly as it was sent out of the gazebo and back into the bushes. He turned just in time to see Simon tossing Shawn into the backseat of a van.

"I thought I told you two to keep an eye on them!?" Niall growled as the three ran for the van. Niall noticed the creepy girl jump into the passenger seat, but not before winking at him and flipping him off. He yelled after them and just managed to brush the cars body before it took off down the road.

" _Stop-"_

"Ahhh! Help!!!" He turned, stunned to see what looked like a giant pile of sludge attacking the front door of the restaurant.

"It's a Muk! Damnit!" he cursed; he knew that Muk was just a distraction.

"They're getting away Niall!" Jolteon yelled. He turned, the van was getting farther and farther away, heading for the entrance of Paradise Falls. If they left the falls, they would be deep in the forest...making them so much harder to find.

And what if Niall couldn't find him in time? What would those Team Rocket bastards do to him?

No... he couldn't let that happen.

"You two, take care of Muk and save everyone inside…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, silver whistle.

"Ok...try not to destroy too much." Jolteon said as he ran off towards the restaurant.

Niall took a deep breath before blowing into it. No sound escaped the whistle...no sound perceptible to human ears anyway. He sighed as the sky suddenly began to get cloudy, crackling with the sound of electricity.

"This isn't...how I wanted to tell you." He whispered softly as the storm grew.

* * *

"We did it! You did so good…" Simon smiled as the girl leaned over and gave him a kiss to his cheek.

"And he's even cuter than I imagined he'd be." She grinned as she stared back at him. He was still paralyzed, still unable to move…

Simon loved to see his kitten so happy, so excited to play with her new toys.

"Well, we lost an Ekans and a Muk but I'm fine with it. I bet this kid has some powerful Pokémon for us to use." She grinned. Simon nodded. They often stole Pokémon and used them for things like this. The two had no real attachment to Pokémon, often sacrificing or using them to further their own goals. It was why Simon joined Team Rocket in the first place, they also saw Pokémon as the tools they are and don't judge Simon when he uses them as such. She smiled back at the terrified looking Omega.

"So, Omega... when's your heat starting? And don't lie you _reek_ of pre-heat. I'm so excited, Daddy and I haven't gotten to share an Omega in a while...” He shivered in fear as the girl smiled cruelly. “Don't worry, we'll only fuck up the lower parts of you...don't wanna ruin that cute face of yours." A tear rolled down the boy’s cheek as terror filled him head to toe. What was happening? Who were these people? He said Team Rocket...why? Their kind never came to the falls, he'd never even _met_ a Team Rocket member before. Why were they doing this?

"W-why…" he managed to whimper out through grit teeth. The girl gave him a curious smile.

"Why? Why? My stupid little Omega...we kidnapped you _because we could._ We are going to torture you _because it's fun._ And before we are done, you'll be willing giving us all your Pokémon just to make it stop…" she grinned as she suddenly crawled over the seat and loomed over him. 

"We are going to make you bleed, make you beg for your life...and then we'll let you go. We don't wanna kill you...so show me a good time…" Shawn started to cry as the woman grabbed his paralyzed hand and forced him to grab her breast over the thin fabric of her black shirt.

"...and we won't!" She giggled. He flinched away as she leaned down, seemingly to force him to kiss her, when suddenly the van came to a screeching halt and three things happened simultaneously. First, Camila was thrown violently into the front seat. She gasped as her head was bashed into the radio and she fell, unconscious and awkwardly, onto the van floor. Half of her was still on her seat and her legs stuck up almost comically. Second, Simon yelled in shock, but not at Camila...but at the sight in front of him that made him slam the breaks.

And third, a bolt of thunder crashed into the ground. This would be the second one, as the first one was clearly the one that destroyed the massive, burning tree that currently blocked the road. The burning tree cast everything in an orangish light…including the figure standing in front of it, directly in Simon's way.

" _Simon, I suggest you get out of the car._ " Shawn wanted to cry again at the sound of a voice, _his_ voice.

"Niall." Shawn whispered softly. 

"Camila...kitten are you ok?" Simon panicked, his protege was knocked out cold. She was bleeding from her head, where Simon could already see a large bump starting to form. But she was clearly still breathing…

Another sudden bolt of thunder directly behind the Alpha made Simon jump and quickly divert his eyes back to the snarling Alpha.

" _Get. Out. Of. The. Car!_ " Simon raised his hands slowly and opened the door.

"Alright, alright calm down…" he got out, leaving the door open, and slowly walked out in front of the van. Niall was giving him a cold, dead glare and Simon just chuckled, realizing that he was probably in danger of losing his life.

"How very dramatic, what with the thunder and the tree...I guess I should expect nothing less from a Gym Leader." Niall's eyes continued to metaphorically murder him, but no words escaped his mouth.

"What? You going to just stare-"

"I'm going to give you to the count of 10 to explain to me why you are in Paradise Falls and why you just tried to kidnap the Gym Leader. I'll know if you are lying, so don't. You get one chance...more than you deserve." Simon pursed his lips, he needed to play this carefully. Not reveal too much...but enough to keep himself alive.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything…" he paused before nodding.

"I didn't lie, I'm Simon Cowell of Team Rocket...I'm one of 7 different Squad Leaders who make up Team Rocket...I'm number 6."

" _Why are you here?_ " Simon just smiled.

"I was sent here on order by Shiva, our new leader...seems Zayn Malik has all her attention these days." Niall frowned.

"So, here for Zayn…if you were here for Zayn, why the _fuck_ did you kidnap Shawn?" He smiled cruelly.

"Malik's in heat...we were told to grab him when it ended." He laughed softly

"We needed something to play with in the meantime." Niall growled in anger.

"Sick _fuck._ " Simon just chuckled.

"Come now Niall…" he slowly reached behind him and smiled as he felt cold steel. He quickly pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Niall. The Alpha didn't react to this, he simply continued to give the man a cold, furious look.

"So, before I shoot you and fuck the Omega in heat...I've got to ask, the whole thunder thing...can I assume that angry little Jolteon was the cause? He's quite strong...perhaps you should give me it's Poke ball? Something tells me you won't...be needing…" he paused and frowned in confusion as the Alpha began to laugh.

"What? Why are-"

"You idiot...my Jolteon is busy subduing that Muk you let loose at the restaurant!" Simon frowned.

"Ok...what is it then?" The humor left Niall's face; his eyes darkened once again.

"Put down the gun and surrender. You and your friend will go to prison, but you get to stay alive." Simon's eyes furrowed and he laughed nervously.

"Is... this a joke to you?"

"Judging by the bad vibes you give off, and the things you've said...I can assume Shawn is lucky that I made sure he was only a potential victim of you." Simon continued to frown. 

"Are you daft? I have a gu-"

"Volt." Niall called. Simon ears rang as suddenly the night was filled with the sound of thunder...and the cries of an ancient Pokémon.

" _What the hell!? What is that!_?" Niall shook his head slowly, pity in his eyes.

" _Look up_." 

The man's body was completely overtaken by fear, the likes of which he'd never known before. He shook in terror as the cries got louder and the feel and sounds of wing beats above him came into sharp focus. He slowly turned his head upwards, his eyes saucers as he saw the creature above him.

It was a large bird with yellow plumage and a sharp looking orange beak. With every flap of its spiky looking wings, electricity would pop and spark off them. It glowed with an aura like a god, there was enough electricity to make Simon's arm hair stand on end.

" _T-the that's…. that’s...a...a legendary…"_

"His name is Zapdos, the legendary thunderbird Pokémon...though he has allowed me to call him Volt." Niall kept his dead eyes on Simon as he spoke the words that made the old Alpha fall to his knees and drop the gun in a desperate attempt to beg.

"Volt, when you shock him, do your best not to kill him... though I won't be pissed if you do. I know the difficulty you have to hold back so much." 

"W-wait! I surrender, please-" the bird let out a thunderous cry that people miles away claim they heard. Simon screamed and covered his ears, while Niall remained unmoving and uninterested in the rapists begging.

A bolt of lightning burst from Zapdos. Simon screamed and faintly recalls the smell of burning flesh and a flash of light before falling forward into the black.

Niall stared down at the man and just sighed as he walked forward. He pressed two fingers against his neck, still alive. He patted the man's shirt to put out the fire burning his shirt. He walked slowly forward, past the unconscious man and up to the open door. His eyes furrowed and he growled in anger, the passenger door was open slightly and the girl was gone. He turned his head slowly…

Shawn was sitting up in his seat, staring out the front window.

"Shawn, you ok?" The boy whimpered softly, and his eyes filled with tears. Niall felt his heart break at the sight.

"Did you see where the girl went?" The boy didn't respond, he was staring at...

"Shawn-"

"Is that…is that the same Zapdos…?" Niall paused, considering how to respond before slowly nodding. He huffed and shook his head.

"Ok…ok…" he slowly opened the door and got out. Niall offered a hand to help but the Omega brushed him off. He slowly walked past Niall to the front of the van. He didn't look at the unconscious man for very long before turning his attention to the large bird that had landed and slowly pecked at the inside of one of its wings.

"So... you're the a…" the bird slowly looked up at him and he huffed softly.

"You're Zapdos…you killed my mom." He said in a soft, weak voice. The bird froze and continued to stare at him.

"It's...it's ok…" Shawn shook his head.

"It...it was a long time ago; I forgave you a long time ago. Thank you for, for um, yeah... saving me." The bird nodded slowly, he nodded back.

"Alright-"

"October 21, 2097." Shawn froze. He felt his blood run a little cold; his breathing hitched. He slowly turned to stare at Niall, who was staring at him with a sad face and guilty eyes.

"That's the day she died, right?" Shawn felt fresh tears bubbling to the surface. No...no…

"N-Niall, please... don't…" Niall felt tears of his own form, it had been a long time since he'd cried.

"I know that…because...that was when I caught Zapdos…" Shawn cupped a hand over his mouth and choked on a sob.

" _Stop-_ "

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I thought I had drawn Zapdos out far enough. I- I knew he could create powerful thunderstorms, but I didn't think it would reach the falls-"

" _Shut up!_ " Shawn screamed.

Sirens, the night was slowly become illuminated by the flashing of blue light. Shawn quickly turned and tried to control his emotions as the local police came up.

"Why don't you head out Volt? Thank you." The bird nodded, and Niall noted he gave Shawn one more look before suddenly opening its wings and burst into the air with a single beat of them.

"I'll tell them what happened, ok-" 

" _I am the Gym Leader here; I will do it myself._ " He turned on Niall with sad, angry eyes that broke Niall's heart, even though he'd been trying to harden his heart since making the decision to call in Zapdos.

Shawn walked stiffly past him and walked towards the parking cars. Niall sighed and slowly pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He didn't smoke often, only when he was drunk or sad.

This was a latter situation

He lit up and took a deep drag before shaking his head and releasing the smoke into the night air.

"Mr. Horan, we will need to ask you a few questions-"

"Alright, but you need to get an ambulance for Simon over there. Also, you need to get your best sniffer dogs and look for his accomplice. She's Team Rocket and very dangerous." He then looked past the officer and looked towards Shawn, who was talking to another officer with a serious look on his face. The Omega stopped speaking, then slowly turned his eyes and they clicked together.

Niall felt his whole word freeze; regret, guilt, sadness…all these emotions covered his face.

Shawn’s eyes filled with pain, but he quickly looked away and continued to talk to the officer. Niall nodded slowly to himself and took another drag.

**Camila**

Camila screamed in rage into her shirt. She had managed to sneak out the door and dive away into the forest. She got far away but stayed close enough so she could see what happened with Simon.

Her heart dropped right as he did. She gripped the three Poke balls she had left and seethed with rage as the Alpha Gym Leader _pest_ checked her Simon's pulse.

"Calm, breathe…" she used to have a problem of running in without thinking, but Simon taught her the wisdom of retreat when necessary. Her last 3 tools were strong, but she knew she stood no chance against a _legendary_ Pokémon. She stared down at her Pokédex, which had very little information and a pretty hazy picture of the Pokémon.

_Zapdos (Japanese:_ _サンダー Sandaa) is an Electric/Flying-type Legendary Pokémon. This Pokémon can control storms and lightning at its own will, which can subsequently change the weather drastically. This caused people to worship it as the God of Thunder in ancient times. It's has a brother in Articuno, the 'God of Ice' and a sister in Moltres, the 'Goddess of Fire'._

"What the _fuck._ " She hissed as she quickly walked deeper into the forest. A _God of thunder!?_ She knew the Pokédex was sometimes prone to hyperbole, but this …this didn't _feel_ like it. Just being in the area made her hairs stand on end and she was terrified she would be struck by lightning at any moment. She soon got very deep into the forest and sighed heavily.

Ok...what does she do now?

Does she call Shiva? That would be...bad for everyone. She and Simon having to be rescued would make the two of them look _really_ bad in Team Rocket. They had a very good reputation...they couldn't tarnish it. No, if Shiva calls, tell her everything is completely fine...in the meantime…

She pulled out the Pokédex and quickly dialed Mika. Mika was the guy who supervised all the Team Rocket members in their Squad, so Simon and Camila didn't have too. 

" _Hello?"_ She huffed.

"Mika, Squad Report."

 _"Of course, ma'am! All 100 members are currently on standby, we've taken residence in Elwood Town. We were given orders by Shiva to await instructions for you there. I privately was informed of your mission ma'am!"_ Camila frowned at this. Elwood Town was only an easy two-hour drive from Paradise Falls. Had...Shiva predicted something like this would happen?

"Alright, good…" her mind swirled with thoughts. She remembered the first lesson Simon ever taught her, _patience._

"Ok...I have some bad news and good news. Bad news, Simon might be dead or critically injured. I was unable to confirm because the enemy, the 7th Gym Leader, has a Legendary Pokémon in his line up." She heard Mika's breath catch at this.

"Our target, Malik and Celebi, are at the local Inn. But if Simon is still alive, he will be at the hospital. If I can confirm this...we will need to rescue him, Police will definitely be there."

" _Course ma'am, we can be there in an hour._ "

"We have to wait; Malik is in heat and going to be useless in the meantime. We don't need a slut Omega fucking with the men's senses. Plus, if Simon is still alive...he is going to be in critical condition. He will need a few days to be stabilized. So, for now...we wait. I am going to lay low for a while, I'll keep in contact. Just make sure you and the men are ready to leave at a moment's notice…" she growled angrily into the phone.

"Paradise Falls just made a huge mistake...in a few days, we're going to bring _hell_ onto them. It's time we show the world why they should fear Team Rocket." 

**Who's that Pokémon !?!?!?**

****

**Venusaur!**

**Corviknight! (the pic doesn't do him justice, hes like 7 feet tall)**

****

**Zeraora!**

****

**Muk!**

****

**Zapdos!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, how'd ya like it? Hopefully ya dug it haha. Anyway I appreciate all you people reading and commenting and giving me kudos, really! Hope everyone has been staying safe in this year that has felt like 20. Till the next chapter! ;]


	8. What do you need?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy yall, next one's the last chapter of part 2. It's gonna be very long so look forward to that. GO VOTE PEOPLE

**Chapter 4: What do you need?**

**Zayn (49 Days Remaining)**

"I'm...so... exhausted..." He mumbled. The Alpha chuckled weakly next to him.

"Really? How do you think I feel...my pelvis is numb." Zayn giggled. Liam flipped his nude body over and laid half on top of the naked Omega. Zayn whimpered as the man began licking and nipping at his neck.

"Liam, I adore you...but I really need to give my body a rest, you wrecked me." Liam laughed and kissed his cheek before rolling off the bed and jumping up. Zayn watched in bewilderment as the man suddenly let himself fall forward to the floor. He caught himself and Zayn felt his cheeks redden as the man began doing _naked_ push-ups.

Zayn was mesmerized by the serious look on his face, the way his back muscles stretched and his _massive_ biceps. Biceps that Zayn had learned could easily push him up against a wall and hold him while Liam-

Zayn moaned involuntarily as he gripped himself in hand and started to jerk off. Liam froze his movements and slowly looked up at him. He smirked and slowly rolled over onto his back. Zayn blushed as he began doing sit ups.

"Babe, don't cum yeah? Just play with yourself…" Zayn slowed his movements, biting his lip and feeling his sore heat _ache_ in arousal at the man. He watched as the Alpha did a variety of stretches and exercises, managing to work up a decent sweat. Zayn watched him the whole time, feeling more and more pent up as it went on. He finally couldn't take it anymore after he went back to push-ups... _one handed_ push-ups. He flew off the bed and fell onto his knees next to the man. He pushed the slightly damp man onto his back, who himself was smirking again and happily letting himself be pushed.

"Thought you were sore babe?"

" _Shut up_." Zayn huffed as he spat in his hand and quickly lathered the man's rigid cock up. 

Soon enough, Zayn was panting as he rode the cock rather violently while Liam just smiled blissfully.

" _Fuck!"_ He moaned as Liam laughed.

"Think I might've gotten you a bit addicted to my dick Zee-"

" _Jaan,_ stop making fun of me…" Liam's eyebrow quirked. Jaan? What did that mean?

"What did you c-" Liam was cut off as the boy placed a deep kiss to his lips. He bit the man's lip and tugged, sending Liam the hottest ' _fuck me_ ' eyes he'd ever seen.

"Liam, _please_ , I'm dying here…" Liam chuckled and suddenly sat up to begin quickly fucking into the boy. He gasped and the two made out as Liam fucked them both into orgasm.

Liam forgot about the strange name Zayn had called him, a bit too distracted by yet another _insanely_ good orgasm provided by this beautiful and amazing Omega.

"I can't handle how tight you are, so fucking hot Zayn…" Zayn chuckled softly as he gently scented the man's neck.

"Never got the whole 'tight' thing, why is that good?" Liam laughed and shrugged.

"I don't know, you just...feel really good to be inside? Make me cum so quick, I hope I'm not disappointing you with my stamina." Zayn giggled.

"Oh yeah, I'm clearly so disappointed." 

"Clearly, look how pissed you are." Liam sighed, looking away with a sad look on his face. Zayn shook his head, laughing as he started aggressively scenting the man's cheek. Liam laughed along with him and the two got into a faux wrestling contest...that somehow ended in the bathtub, no water in it, and Liam slamming into Zayn for the second time that morning.

* * *

"Need to see how everyone's doing." Zayn shook his head. 

"A two-day heat...I want you to know they usually only last a day tops." Liam just grinned proudly as they strolled down the hallway of the inn holding hands. Zayn was wearing a pair of black hiking shoes Doniya bought him, his favorite pair of dark green sweatpants, and an old black t-shirt of Liam's that was a little too big on him. Zayn had been fine with wearing the man's shirt though, because it smelled like him and the Omega was a bit addicted to the Alpha right now. 

He kept a small, blue messenger bag on him, which would be used to carry all the Poke balls he owns and anything else interesting he might find in the woods today. Zayn blushed, because Liam had elected to wear just a black tank top, dark grey sweats, and a pair of dark brown hiking shoes. The tank top really showed off the man's arms, and the sweats were a bit tight and showed off the man's...well, bum. 

"Guess I just pull something primal outta you." Zayn rolled his eyes and squeezed the man's hand as tight as he could. This just made Liam laugh, however.

"Oh? We wanna be mean then? Play this game? I've learned all your ticklish spots Zee; I'm going to win." Zayn just stuck his tongue out at the man, who just hummed and turned away. They strolled into the elevator alone and Liam waited until it closed to strike. As soon as the doors shut, he turned on Zayn and quickly picked him up.

"Li-?" Zayn couldn't even react as the man suddenly had his hands in his pants, squeezing the boys aching cheeks over his underwear.

"S-stop-!" He gasped softly as he grinded their hips together while kissing and scenting the boy's neck. Zayn could only make a weak attempt to stop him. His legs and arms felt like jelly as the Alpha worked him over.

And just as suddenly as it started, it ended. Zayn was left breathless as he was suddenly being placed gently back on his wobbly legs.

"Might wanna pull yourself together love; we’re about to be in the lobby." He smiled as he pulled away and turned to look casually at the still closed doors. Zayn huffed in frustration and quickly tried to fix his clothes and readjust his now rigid cock. He tensed and did his best to act casual as he pushed his messenger bag subtly in front of him to hide his crotch. The doors opened and they were walking down the hallway.

" _Smooth._ " Liam snickered as they walked, eyeing the bag hiding his ‘excitement’. 

"You're gonna pay for this Liam." Zayn growled in a grumpy voice. Liam smirked and gave the boy a charming smile and lusty eyes.

"I look forward to you punishing me." The Omega just blushed as Liam happily threw an arm over his shoulder. The two walked out of the inn and towards the Poke center to retrieve Celebi and Frost, and then off to Oda’s dojo to collect everyone else.

* * *

"Zayn!" He smiled as the Pikachu jumped up and tackled into his chest. He caught the Pokémon with a 'oomph' and frowned down at him. 

"Easy Pikachu...I'm a bit weak right now."

"I can tell, I can also tell you had a fun time." His yellow friend jumped up onto his shoulder and frowned at Liam.

"Should I be worried about the dark spots all over his skin?"

"Nope." Liam grinned. Zayn just huffed and shook his head.

"Right, anyway…"he looked around, frowning. The front courtyard was mostly empty sans a small group of monks and their Hitmonlee training nearby. He saw Blaziken sitting on the roof of the building about 15 feet high (how the hell did he get up there?). Zayn smiled as Growlithe came running up to Liam and the man grinned as he picked him up and gave him a twirl before hugging him. He continued his frown as he finished surveying the area, and…

"Where's Lucario?"

"He's inside, he and the mean cat are training with Master Oda." Liam perked up at that.

"Oh?”

“Yeah, he’s been having them fight because they’re _really_ don’t seem to like each other.” Zayn frowned.

“Still fighting then?” Pikachu nodded and frowned.

“Your first day away, the two of them started fighting out of nowhere. Luckily Blaziken stopped them before it got too serious. Ever since then, Mr. Oda’s been training them.” Liam tsked at that.

“Damnit, alright let’s go find them then.”

It didn’t take very long to find the trio. Zayn found themselves in a small, wood paneled arena in the back of the Dojo. Lucario and Incineroar were in the middle of the fight, but Zayn noted the two seemed to be avoiding using any kind of special moves, sticking strictly to using their arms and legs. Zayn watched in amazement at how quick and nimble Lucario was. He dodged a particularly good swipe, then backflipped over Incineroar before landing a solid kick to the other Pokémon’s side. Incineroar growled in anger and his flame belt suddenly burst to life. He froze however as suddenly a very loud _bang_ filled the arena. Oda was sitting on the sidelines holding a solid wood cane that was currently dug into the floor.

“Incineroar, no using your abilities! Is that understood?!” Incineroar gulped and nodded quickly, his flames quickly subsiding. He bowed quickly to the man before turning back to Lucario and taking a battle stance.

“Good, now, begin!” At his words, the two charged and the battle began again. Oda finally seemed to notice Liam and Zayn and smiled as he waved them over to sit on the bench next to his comfortable looking wood chair. He had a small table next to him with a tea set, as they approached, he offered them both some and they both accepted gratefully.

“Happy to see you both faired well during your heat.” Zayn laughed a bit awkwardly.

“Ah…yeah, it was fun.”

“Also violent from what I can tell. Honestly, Liam, if I didn’t know you were a good person, I’d assume you hit the poor Omega!” Oda laughed; eyeing Zayn’s hickey covered neck before giving Liam a judgmental yet amused look. Liam just snickered at that while Zayn flushed in embarrassment.

“Oda…”

“I’m just teasing…” Zayn turned to watch the fight for just a few moments before turning back to the older man.

“So, how did training with these two go?” Oda grinned.

“You have a very talented pair Zayn. Lucario is a real talent and Pikachu is quite brilliant. He reminds me greatly of your mothers.” His eyes widened at that.

“Really? I…never got to meet my Mom’s Pikachu, I was only a few months old when he died.” He frowned.

“That’s a shame, he was a very sweet Pikachu…”

“Was Pikachu able to learn that move? Um…Volt Tackle you called it?” Oda nodded.

“Yes, that’s the move, and he made great progress…but I’m afraid he’s going to need a bit more practice. I can show you how I was training him so the two of you can practice on your own during your journey.”  
Zayn grinned.

“That would be great.” The three of them all spoke about various things as the two continued to fight. Soon enough however, the fight ended, and they all stood and made to go inside.

“You good Luca?” Lucario nodded at him, seeming a pretty tired to Zayn but he could tell the Pokémon was feeling good.

“I have been training hard Zayn, I feel much stronger.”

“Good, then let’s have you relax the rest of the day ok? I need you in fighting shape for tomorrow.” The Pokémon nodded seriously.

“Of course.”

"Mr. Oda, has Shawn's heat ended yet?" Talking about the match tomorrow made Zayn realize he didn't even know the rules of this Gym yet! Did he have to have 4 Pokémon instead of 3 like in Desert Town? What if he needed _more_ than that? He was honestly hoping Shawn was still in heat, he needed time to prepare.

"Ah, he mentioned that did he?" Zayn nodded.

"We didn't get to talk for long, but he promised I'd be his first match after our heats were done."

"Smart boy, he knows I'd make him do double training if he didn't accept your challenge. I imagine you’re going to give him a good fight, you Malik's always do." The man snickered and rubbed his upper lip.

"But to answer the question, he let me know it would be another day at least...poor boy, this one is hitting him hard I think." Zayn nodded, feeling immense sympathy for the Gym Leader.

"I've been there. But, sir, could you please explain the gym rules to me? I need to know if I have enough Pokémon or if I need a little more time to get ready…" Oda chuckled and nodded.

"Good Zayn, you _should_ be taking this time to prepare…" Oda then quickly explained the rules to Zayn, he made a mental check list from most important to least

  1. You must have 3 Pokémon to enter. 
  2. Pokémon can stay out after they've won a battle to fight again. They fight until they can't. They can also be returned, but this is considered forfeiting. After being returned, they can no longer fight. Last person with Pokémon is considered the winner.
  3. No round time limits
  4. Winner of each round chooses who summons first, assuming both trainers must choose a new combatant.
  5. Have fun!



"Right, sounds simple enough." 

"The rules haven’t put you at a disadvantage has it?" Zayn chuckled.

"Not in the slightest." Oda laughed and turned to continue making his way to the front. Soon enough, they were back in the courtyard and Oda was seeing them off.

"So, the Seedling Forest? Well, I suggest you be careful. It's very easy to get lost in those woods, I'd try to be back before dark." 

"No worries, I know where we're going." Liam chuckled. Oda smiled.

"Alright, then all I can say is have fun." He waved them off, Zayn waited to speak until they were out of earshot. 

"You know where we're going?"

"Yeah, nice little meadow...open, good place to train." He smirked. Zayn nodded.

"Good…" the man gently pinched Zayn’s chin and raised his head up slightly so he could lean down to kiss him. Pikachu gagged nearby.

"Humans kiss _way_ too much."

* * *

"Zayn, I know we're here to train...but I'm really tired." Pikachu mumbled. The Omega smiled at him.

"Oda wore you out?"

" _Yes._ I'm stronger than before but my whole body is sore." He grumbled.

"Wimp." Froslass piped in. He scoffed at her.

"And what did _you_ do the last few days? Eat men?" She laughed and covered her mouth as she turned away.

"Like I'd tell _you._ " Zayn just sighed but smiled as the two bickered. His smile widened as suddenly Celebi came zooming up to him and gave him a couple pink and purple flowers.

"Aw, thank you Celebi."

"Celebi!" She said happily as she zoomed back into the trees. According to Liam, they'd walked about a mile into the Seedling Forest and found themselves in a large meadow filled with flowers (courtesy of Celebi). There was a tree that seemed to have fallen a long time ago, leaving a solid wooden log that Zayn could sit on. Surrounding them were more trees than Zayn could count, and the sound of bird and bug Pokémon filled the area with noise.

He closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the gentle breeze that was slowly washing over the area. It smelled like flowers and trees here, not too hot or cold...Zayn felt so peaceful. 

"Again." He opened his eyes and blushed as he turned to watch his Alpha across the way, training diligently with Blaziken and Growlithe. The man seemed to always find a way to take his shirt off, his muscular form glistened in the sun with sweat, his arms were covered in black protective padding. He used them to block blows from the Growlithe, who would jump surprisingly high in the air and swipe at the padding with his paws. Liam was grinning and giving the good boy encouragement and tips, while the puppy Pokémon seemed to be having the time of his life. He looked under a nearby tree and saw Liam's Aggron. Zayn noticed that Liam didn't let him out too often, he wondered if it had to do with the fact that his friend didn't seem like a lively one. He was currently napping on his side, a couple of Butterfree had landed on top of him and started to decorate the sleeping metal giant in flowers. He sighed and shook his head, he felt worn out still from heat, but he knew he needed to start training with a new friend of his…

He pulled out the Heavy ball and stood. He took a few steps into the meadow and casually tossed the ball out.

The ground shook and Zayn swears he felt his feet leave the ground for a moment as the fat Pokémon Snorlax landed on the ground with a _boom_. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look, Zayn laughed awkwardly. 

"Ah...sorry." Liam just chuckled and turned back to his Pokémon to continue training. He walked up to the Snorlax's head and kneeled.

"Hey... buddy. My name's Zayn Malik...I'm the guy who caught you on the bridge." The Snorlax didn't respond, Zayn wondered if the Pokémon was even awake.

Suddenly, the Pokémon groaned and slowly raised one of its paws. Zayn just blinked down at him as he gently bopped Zayn on top of his head. He ruffled Zayn’s hair and slowly lowered the hand as he let out a massive yawn.

"Why'd ya summon me?" Zayn blinked in surprise; his voice had a strange nasal quality to it. He sounded like a teenage boy whose voice had _mostly_ deepened.

"Oh, just...wanted to introduce myself, meet you…"

" _But I was so comfyyyyyyyyy."_ The Pokémon whined. Zayn's eyes furrowed.

"Sorry about that…" 

"It's ok...just happy to have a home now." He sighed happily as he rubbed his belly.

"It's warm and comfy and keeps me fed. I _looooooooove Poke Balls!_ " He sighed in a happy manner yet again and rubbed his belly. Zayn laughed softly at that; this Pokémon was...strangely exactly what he was expecting.

"Well, Snorlax...do you have a name you want to go by? Or do you just prefer Snorlax?" The Pokémon hummed and patted his belly.

"Huh, I don't think anyone's ever asked me that before…"

"Well, buddy if you want, I can give you a name-"

"Snorman!" Zayn just blinked down at him.

"Um...Snorman?"

"Yeah, cuz I’m a Snorlax and cuz a nice forest man named Norman gave me food once. S-n-o-r-m-a-n! Snorman!" Zayn just nodded slowly.

"Uh, sure buddy, Snorman it is-" he yelped in surprise as suddenly the Snorlax was shooting off the ground and standing straight up. He just stared in confusion, because how the _hell_ did he move so fast?

"I’m gonna go lay in the shade next to Aggron, maybe the Butterfree will give me snacks!" He happily and slowly waddled over to where Aggron was sleeping. Zayn huffed and quickly jogged to catch up.

"Hey, so...I'm a trainer buddy. Tomorrow I have a gym battle-"

"Oh, I love watching matches! It always gets me hungry!" Snorman said in a cheerful voice.

"Well...Snorman, I need you to help me fight tomorrow, not just watch." The Pokémon stopped at this and turned to look down at him.

"Really?" He nodded.

"The Gym Leader is going to be tough. He uses Poison types buddy...and I hear Snorlax are immune to poison." He giggled.

"Some Snorlax actually aren't immune to poison." Zayn’s eyes widened.

"Wait, really?" Snorman nodded.

"Mmhmm, makes the tummy upset and can't eat for hours." Zayn frowned.

"Oh...well, that's ok Snorman, I'm sure you're still going to be helpful regardless."

"Awww." Snorman giggled.

"That's nice of you...but don't you worry Zaan, my fellow Snorlax and Munchlax don't call me 'Iron Belly' for nothing! I like to add poison to my food, makes it spicy! I loooooooove spicy food!" Zayn laughed weakly and nodded.

"Ah, well then awesome…also my name isn't-"

"I don't mind fighting for ya Zaan, you seem like a good human. You gave me that nice massage on the bridge!"

"...massage?"

"Yeah, when Pikachu and Froslass gave me that full body massage." He just stared blankly at him.

"Oh...you thought…. oh, uh, right. Yeah, when they...massaged you." Snorman sighed as he suddenly fell backwards and laid himself against the tree with a loud bang. Aggron’s head snapped up in surprise and quickly looked around before noticing Snorlax. He just grumbled something before laying his head back down to sleep. 

"Then that nice Lucario came over and gave me a good kick to the head...and popped my neck. It felt _good._ " He sighed. Zayn nodded and quietly muttered to himself.

"So... you're a bit immune to pain then." The Pokémon sighed happily and patted his belly.

"I just wish I remembered how I got to that bridge." Zayn's eyes widened.

"You... don't remember anything?" Snorman sighed.

"I remember I was really hungry, but I wasn't having a lot of luck finding food. I got tired and fell asleep...and suddenly I'm getting a nice massage and you caught me." Zayn frowned.

"Huh…"

"Maybe I did stuff while I was asleep again, I do that a lot." He giggled. The two Butterfree suddenly reappeared carrying more flowers to decorate Aggron.

"You sleepwalk?" Zayn asked. The Pokémon didn't respond, he was too busy now negotiating with the Butterfree to get some food. He sighed but smiled as he heard a chuckling noise behind him, and a sweaty arm casually wrapped around his waist.

"How goes it, Zee?" Liam asked as he rested his head on top of the Omegas and absentmindedly rubbed the boy’s hip with his thumb.

"Alright...he's very distractable." Zayn chuckled. He told the Alpha everything he'd learned so far, the man hummed thoughtfully as he stared at the Pokémon, who was happily chomping on some berries the Butterfree had agreed to bring him.

"Ask him what he needs to prepare for the match tomorrow."

"Hey Snorman…" the Pokémon looked at Zayn as he continued to gobble up berries.

"Yes?"

"Is there anything I can do to help you prepare for tomorrow's match?" The Pokémon hummed thoughtfully and patted his belly.

"Hmmm...if I gotta do some fighting tomorrow, then I better sleep and eat a lot, and do my stretches. Fighting always wears me out quick if I don't prepare properly and stretch." Zayn nodded.

"Understood, you do what you need to…"

"You're a good boy Zaan, you can count on me!" He said happily as he tossed more berries into his mouth. One of the Butterfree giggled as it quickly fluttered off to gather more, seeming amused by how quickly Snorlax was putting them away.

"Thanks buddy." He looked up at Liam and smiled.

"Rest. Food. Stretches." Liam laughed and shook his head.

"Sounds about right, I'm looking forward to tomorrow." 

"Well hi!" The pair looked up to find a blond-haired Alpha walking into the clearing wearing a plain white T and a pair of old worn jeans. Trotting along behind him, as always, was his Jolteon.

"Niall! Was wondering where you were." Liam chuckled. He let Zayn go and kissed his temple before walking over to greet the Alpha.

"Ah you know, here and there...ZiZi!" The Alpha said suddenly, grinning at Zayn. The Omega just chuckled and waved at him.

"Niall, all good?" He smiled weakly, Zayn noticed the slightest twinge of pain in his eyes, but it was gone and hidden just moments later.

"Oh yeah, boring as hell few days guarding the inn. I should have told them what I was doing, they might have paid me." He snickered. Zayn laughed.

"Well good to see you again...I'll be right back though, bathroom." Liam smiled and winked at him before turning down to Niall and starting to talk. Zayn didn't pay much attention to them as he wandered a little way into the forest to find a private spot to piss.

As soon as Zayn was out of earshot, Niall changed the subject.

"Liam, we have a problem." The Alpha raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" He felt the presence of Blaziken suddenly behind him, attentive and ready to listen.

"It's a good thing you called me...a lot happened the night you two left to go deal with his heat."

**Zayn**

As he finished pissing and washing his hands in a nearby stream, Zayn heard a snapping sound of a twig nearby. He turned his head to look and noticed a nearby bush shaking. He tensed and waited, but smiled and relaxed when the figure revealed themselves.

"Hey Celebi." She chimed her name happily and came fluttering up to him with a flower crown in her hands. The flowers were a gorgeous mixture of purple and red. He smiled as she placed it on his head and said her name yet again.

"Thanks, Celebi." She giggled at that and fluttered back into the forest. He loved how happy she seemed to be; forests were certainly a favorite spot for her. He turned to head back to the grove when he suddenly felt a tugging on his pant leg. He looked down, surprised to find the water type Pokémon Psyduck staring up at him. He'd never met one in real life before and didn't know much about them. He pulled out his Pokédex and quickly scanned it. 

_Psyduck (Japanese:_ _コダック Koduck) is a Water-type Pokémon that lives in freshwater lakes and small ponds but can be seen in rivers in tropical areas as well. Psyduck is a yellow Pokémon resembling a duck or a bipedal platypus. On top of its head are three thick strands of black hair and it has a wide, flat, cream-colored beak. Its eyes seem vacant and have tiny pupils. Its legs and tail are stubby, and it has cream-colored webbed feet. There are three claws on each of its hands._

_Psyduck is constantly beset by headaches and is unable to think very clearly. It usually stands immobile, trying to calm its headache. However, when its headache becomes too severe, it releases tension in the form of strong psychic powers. It is still a mystery as to where these powers come from or how they manifest. After an episode, Psyduck is always much more relaxed as the headaches apparently subside for a while before inevitably returning._

“Ah…so don’t piss you off then.” Zayn chuckled.

“Psyyyyyduck!” The Pokémon said, tugging a bit more roughly on his pant leg.

“You need something?” Zayn asked curiously. The Pokémon seemed to be able to understand him, as it nodded quickly and let go of his leg so he could gesture for Zayn to follow.

“Oh…ok, lets go then.” Zayn said, feeling more than a little surprised and confused. A random Pokémon trying to get him to follow it into a forest…this was certainly a first for him. He began to follow but stopped at a sudden call of his name. He turned, Lucario came slowly walking up to him.

“Oh, hey Luca.” Lucario frowned at him.

“I saw you walk off on your own, I was worried.”

“Ah, thanks Luca but I’m ok, this Psyduck was…” He turned, frowning as the Pokémon seemed to have disappeared.

“Um…”

“Psyduck?” Lucario asked, giving him a confused look.

“There was one right he- “

“ _Psyyyyyyyyyyduck!_ ” He blinked in surprise as the Psyduck suddenly reappeared from behind a nearby bush, giving Zayn a seemingly annoyed look.

“Ah, he wants you to follow him.” Lucario said, staring at the yellow duck.

“Yeah, I gathered that much…” Zayn slowly began walking after him, Lucario stayed right by his side.

“Should we be following it?” Luca asked. Zayn shrugged.

“Maybe not, but I can’t deny…I’m a bit curious.” Lucario chuckled.

“…so am I.” Zayn just smiled, and the two went deeper into the forest. Soon enough, they arrived at their destination. Zayn felt a strange sense of anxiety wash over him. The air seemed colder as they crossed the threshold of trees. Zayn found themselves in what looked like strange, long abandoned runes. Stone pillars stood in a circle around a cobblestone courtyard. A few of the pillars were broken and covered in vines. Some were knocked over completely and some still stood tall, now just covered in greenery. Zayn shivered as he stared at what had truly drawn his eye, however.

Standing tall in the middle of the courtyard, was a large, solid black rock. Zayn recognized it as obsidian, a jet-black rock that was commonly found around Bradford. Though of course, he’d never seen one as big as this before. Zayn noticed strange symbols and runes carved into it. They didn't make much sense to Zayn, they looked sort of like common English letters but...different. Psyduck stood on the other side of it and seemed to gesture for him to come. He slowly walked into the courtyard, the hairs on the back of his arm stood on end and he shivered at how cold it had gotten.

“Stay close Luca.” He mumbled as he walked forward. He approached the Psyduck, who nodded slowly at him. His eyes widened as it let out a loud call of its name and suddenly fell over, seemingly unconscious.

“Psyduck? You-“

“Zayn.”

His blood froze in his veins, chills up his arm as he very slowly turned around. Lucario was already in front of him, ready to protect him…

From his mother

“Zayn… you’ve grown since I last saw you.” Tricia Malik wore a simple, plain black blouse and jeans. A red shawl was draped over her shoulders and hung down to her stomach. Alakazam stood right next to her, not saying a word. Alakazam waved his hand and suddenly the Psyduck let out a startled PSY and stood up. It looked around, seeming puzzled by its surroundings, before shrugging and slowly waddling off back into the forest.

“I apologize for the secrecy, if I had simply sent Alakazam…I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“So, you sent a Psyduck?”

“I had Alakazam control him for a bit yes, I had a feeling you’d follow…you’re still as curious as when you were a boy.” She smiled weakly at him.

“So- “

“Where the FUCK have you been!?” Zayn suddenly snapped. She blinked in surprise as Zayn felt anger swell inside him.

“Zayn- “

“You left without a note, a call…” He huffed as many thing’s he’d wanted to say to her since she left came bubbling to the surface.

“Zayn-“

“Did you know Dad cried every night after you left? For weeks. It took Doni and I days to convince him to stay on as Gym Leader. He wanted to quit after you _abandoned_ us.” She said nothing. He just huffed at her in frustration.

“Well?”

“I doubt any answers I give you will satisfy...”

“I doubt it too but go ahead and try.” He growled. She smiled.

“You’re being very demanding for someone who’s cornered.” He heard a low growl behind him, and he turned. A massive Ursaring was standing behind him, he didn’t recognize it as one of his mothers.

“Is this him?” Another voice, but different. It was muffled and strange sounding, like the person talking was using a device to warp and hide it.

Then, _she_ appeared.

She stood tall as she slowly walked out from behind Ursaring, looking how Froslass had described her, though now in much more form fitting clothing.

She wore slimming black leather pants with a belt from which a couple Poke Balls and two small pouches hung. Her top was covered in a tight, dark blue, turtle-neck sweater and jet-black gloves. Her head was completely covered by a helmet, shaped much like the top of a bishop piece in chess. Thick, glowing blue lines covered its surface and she wore a black cape that hung down to the tops of her black boots.

Shiva, the leader of Team Rocket

“Yes, this is my son.”

“He looks more like your husband than you.” Shiva chuckled; the sound uncomfortable to Zayn’s ear. She slowly walked around, though Ursaring kept his position just a few feet behind Zayn. Lucario was extremely tense, seemingly trying to keep his eyes on the sudden intruders all at once.

“Yes, he got my husbands outsides, but he got my insides.”

“That much is clear.” Shiva said, soon standing next to Tricia.

“What the hell does that mean? What do you want from me?” He asked, trying hard to remain calm even though he was very suddenly in a very _bad_ situation.

“Right to the point then. He really is like you.” Shiva chuckled again. Tricia gave Zayn a sweet smile, it felt wrong to Zayn because his mother…wasn’t someone who showed happiness.

“Zayn, my son, we aren’t here to harm you. In fact, I’m here to ask you for your help Zayn.” He just stared at his mother flabbergasted.

“What? You…my help? Why would I help you or …her?! Mum, you do realize this is TEAM ROCKET you’re working for, right?! They’re evil! They- “

“ _Zayn._ Take a breath and calm down my son, I will explain.” He just slowly nodded and took a deep breath as his mother spoke.

“Zayn, this is not the same Team Rocket that killed my Pikachu. The old leader is dead, and Shiva…” She looked at Shiva and smiled.

“Shiva is going to lead all of us into a new age, and Team Rocket are the tools that are going to get us there.”

“A…new age? What?” He said, confused. Shiva shook her head and laughed.

“In due time. My words would be wasted on you if I spoke them. For now, we will simply ask you for our favor and that will be the end of it. We wish no harm on you, we are not even going to take Celebi...yet.”

“Then…what do you want?” He asked yet again. Shiva slowly turned her head down; he felt his hands tremble as he thinks he knows what she is looking at.

“We need you to confirm something for us. We need you to release whatever you have inside your Master Ball.”

“NO!” He snapped immediately; his eyes filled with fear as he quickly took a step back. He huffed as he felt his back collide with the Ursaring, who just growled as he looked down at him in anger. He stepped away and kept his eyes on them.

“Goodness, what a reaction.” Shiva said.

“Yes, if it’s what I think it is…it’s a reasonable one.” Tricia chuckled. He just stared at his mother.

“You…know what it is?”

“Maybe. Which is why we need you to show us. If it’s what I think it is…my son you’ve captured one of the most powerful and dangerous Pokémon on Earth.”

“I…can’t, I can’t control him…”

“Him?” Shiva said.

“Zayn. Breathe, in and out. We just need to see him for a moment and that’ll be enough.” Tricia said, seeming to be slowly losing her patience.

“A second is all he would need to kill you all, I’m not doing it.” He said. Tricia pursed her lips and let out a loud sigh.

“Of course, fine, plan B then.” All she did was glance at Alakazam, and that was enough. Lucario suddenly let out a scream as he grabbed his head and fell to the ground.

“LUCA!” He screamed, running towards his friend. He gasped however as suddenly; his body was frozen solid. He hissed in frustration as he tried desperately to move, but it was like some invisible force was keeping him there.

“Alakazam, very slowly kill the runt please.” Tricia said. Lucario screamed louder and Zayn screamed as well, angry tears falling down his cheeks.

“You said you weren’t going to hurt us you lying _bitch!_ ” Tricia shook her head.

“And we won’t…hurt _you._ I didn’t say anything about him.” Luca screamed as he writhed on the cobblestone floor. He sobbed in anger.

“STOP IT!”

“Then make us stop, you already know how.” She said, seeming annoyed now. He let out a yelp as suddenly he was unfrozen, and he landed on the ground.

“I…you don’t know what you’re asking! Please! Mum stop this _I’m begging you!_ ” He sobbed. Tricia just stared down at her son, any love she may have been showing earlier, was absent now. Tricia turned her cold stare on Alakazam and nodded.

“Finish him.”

“ _NO!_ ” He roared.

Lucario stopped screaming

He just went wide eyed and slowly turned to stare at Lucario.

He screamed, screamed as anger and pain filled his entire being and he felt his body shake. He reached towards his necklace and yanked off the Master Ball. He clicked the button, his breathing and hands shook, and he slowly turned murderous eyes on the pair.

He didn’t speak, not until he pressed the button again and the ball was bursting open, not until Tricia Malik’s eyes filled with fear and even Shiva took a step backwards, seeming in shock…or terror.

Not until his monster spoke to him in that unnervingly calm voice

“What do you need?” He choked on a sob as he stared at Lucario’s body.

“W-wait, Zayn, Lucario- “He didn’t let his mother finish.

“ _I need you to kill them all._ ”

“ _Alakazam NOW!_ ” Tricia screamed.

And then the world turned to madness

**Liam**

“So…they still haven’t found this Camila girl?” Niall shook his head.

“No, she hasn’t made an appearance yet. Simon’s still at the local jail, though not for long. He’s getting sent to the police agency over in Fayz city tomorrow. Apparently, this guy has a list of crimes a mile long. Arson, basically every degree of murder you can think of, sexual assault and that’s just the shit he did before he joined up with Team Rocket…”

“Fucking hell, they really will hire anybody…” Liam shook his head.

“We need to interrogate him.”

“I’ve been trying…” He sighed as he stared at Liam.

“You picked a good time to be done with the heat …because he’s refusing to talk to anybody but you.” He frowned.

“Really?”

“He was very specific about that, even spelled out your name like an asshole…” The Alpha trailed off and Liam nodded slowly.

“Alright…when we are done here, I’ll go talk to him. We need everything he knows…he might know what the hell Shiva is up too. Why they need Celebi…” He felt a tugging on his pant leg. He slowly looked down to find Pikachu staring up at him.

“Liam, I am getting worried.” He frowned.

“What’s up Pikachu?”

“I think you’re too busy talking, Zayn and Lucario left a while ago and haven’t come back yet.” His eyes widened as he looked around and noticing that, yes, Lucario and Zayn were missing.

“Oh, ok shit, we need to go find- “

“LIAM MOVE!” Blaziken suddenly screamed. It all happened so quickly; Liam wasn’t sure what exactly happened. One second, he was looking down at Pikachu, the next he was lying on the ground as Blaziken had tackled him. His ears rang as an insanely loud BOOM filled the peaceful meadow. He slowly looked up, confused by what he was seeing. A massive, partially vine covered pillar had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and crashed into the log Liam and Niall had just been sitting on. Niall was lying nearby, seemingly saved by Incineroar who was lying next to him.

“Everyone ok?” Liam asked.

“Yeah, more confused and pissed off than anything!” Niall growled as he slowly sat up.

“What the FUCK!?” The same question was on Liam’s mind as he slowly stood.

“Thank you Blaze” He said as the Pokémon nodded at him.

“Of course.”

“Liam, you didn’t mention that giant, stone pillars could appear out of nowhere and try to kill us in this forest! I feel like that _might_ have been important to mention!” Pikachu snapped.

“Celebi!” Celebi cried as it seemed distressed by everything that just happened.

“That’s obviously not normal Pika- “They all froze as suddenly, a couple trees on the other side of the meadow were _demolished_ by another massive pillar that seemed to have been thrown from somewhere nearby.

“Ok, that’s not good!” Pikachu screamed as he quickly hid behind Liam.

“ _Zayn!_ ” Liam yelled, but no response.

“I need to go find them, Niall take everyone and hide.” Niall frowned at him.

“Yeah, no offense mate but I’m not letting you go into who even knows what alone.” He held up his whistle and chuckled.

“Plus, dunno when you’ll need a thunderstorm.” Liam frowned.

“But the Pokémon- “

“Are coming too, I don’t know why you’d think anything else.” Pikachu snickered.

“Celebi!” She said, a serious look on her face. Froslass came slowly floating up, and Liam didn’t know what she said but it made Pikachu roll his eyes. He nodded.

“Let’s go.” The group all ran into the forest, thankfully no more pillars seemed to be flying through the sky. They traveled for a long while before Niall finally spoke. 

“Liam…have you noticed it?” He gave Niall a curious look.

“Mate…there’s no noise. I’ve been able to hear bird and bug Pokémon since I got here…but I don’t hear anything.

“Celebi!” The small green pixie came fluttering down from a nearby tree, a concerned look on her face.

“She says the local Pokémon are scared and hiding.” Pikachu said. He frowned.

“Did they say what?”

“Celebi! Cele, Cele-bi! Celebi!”

“She says…the Pokémon all sense intense rage and pain coming from deeper in the forest. They are afraid…that rage might turn on one of them.” He felt fear fill his entire being, he could only hope and pray that Zayn hadn’t…unleashed the monster.

“We need to move faster! Celebi, can you take us there?” He said. Celebi seemed hesitant, but she nodded slowly and fluttered forward. They followed her for a few minutes, until finally…they found it.

Liam could tell the place used to be ruins of a long-lost civilization…but it was clear that its destruction wasn’t caused by time. Broken pieces of pillar laid strewn all over the courtyard. The surrounding trees had been decimated by what looked like small, broken pieces of cobblestone, pillars, and a black rock that looked a lot like obsidian to Liam. Liam’s eyes slowly turned down, down to the part that both confused and terrified him.

Zayn was sitting in the middle of the now destroyed courtyard, covered in blood, sobbing into Lucario’s fur on his lap. Surrounding him, were pieces of…what Liam _assumes_ used to be an Ursaring. It was hard to tell, considering how much blood and fur was covering everything.

“I…I can’t wake Luca up.” He sobbed, turning pain filled eyes on the stunned group.

“Help me, _please, please!_ ” He sobbed hard, burying his face in his friend’s chest.

“…. fuck.” Niall muttered softly.

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

****

**Psyduck!**


	9. Book II End: Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry this took so long. If it helps at all, this is the finale of Book 2 and is quite long. To everyone reading, I hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks so much for reading!

“The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone.”  
\-- **Mary Shelley, Frankenstein --**

**Finale: Monster**

**Zayn (One Year Ago)**

"So... we’re just gonna leave?"

"That's the plan." Zayn said sharply as they slowly made their way down the stone road towards Parish Town, which had the train station that would take them to Vermont Town...where Zayn's first gym battle would take place. Pikachu huffed on his shoulder and Zayn gave him a look.

"What?"

"Zayn... I hate to be that Pikachu, but your dad has a point-"

"Oh, don't you start." Zayn grumbled.

"But your dad is right! You’ve got no cash, no means of transportation and don’t even know where you’re going…”

"Pikachu, I don't care what my dad says. He's gotten way too overprotective since Mom… I’m sick of having my every move restricted because of him." Zayn finished with an annoyed huff. Pikachu huffed back.

"Look, I know we're only running away from home right now because you're mad at your dad for being a super worrier and want to be rebellious. But can't we just, I don't know, go spray paint a wall again?"

"What does it matter anyway? You get prize money for winning gym battles. And you know there are kids in other regions who can go out on their own at 14? If 14-year-olds can do it, I can do it."

"That... sounds unbelievably irresponsible but ok." Pikachu said with a frown and a shake of his head.

“You’re just leaving because you got into a fight with your dad again.”

“Please, stop.” Zayn groaned, feeling completely done with this conversation.

"Fine, ignore me then...but you should let Luca out of his Poke Ball, let him know what you're doing...maybe he can talk some sense into you." Zayn just rolled his eyes but did what Pikachu asked and let Lucario out.

"Where are we?" Lucario asked as they continued walking down the road.

"Heading to Parish Town so we can take the train-" Zayn was cut off by a sudden crackle of thunder and the flash of lightning high in the sky.

"Shit, we can explain when we get there alright? We need to hurry or we're going to get caught in this storm." Luca just nodded and they began jogging down the road.

Unfortunately, they didn't make it far.

The rain came down hard, fast, and the winds followed right behind it. 

"Hurry Zayn!" Lucario yelled. His feet pounded on the wet pavement, kicking up water as puddles were already beginning to form. They crested a hill and could see the light from Parish Town not far away. Almost there, just a little-

Zayn gasped as something hard suddenly slammed into his side and sent him flying down the grassy, mud covered side of the sharp hill. Zayn heard his friends call his name as he rolled painfully down towards the waiting forest below. He finally stopped in a small (but growing) puddle of water and groaned in pain. He whimpered as he sat up but staggered as his left hand protested violently from being leaned on. He was pretty sure he may have sprained or even possibly broke it, but he didn't have a lot of time to think about it as the storm somehow got even worse.

"Zayn! Are you ok?" Pikachu yelled as he and Lucario slid down the hill to him.

"I… think I sprained my wrist." The Omega huffed. He shook his head.

"What hit me…?" 

"M-Metapod…" he looked down, the cocoon Pokémon Metapod was lying nearby, a sort of terrified look on its face. It was hard to tell because the Pokémon was literally a small, green, cocoon with eyes. Zayn didn't think it even had a mouth, so he wasn't sure how it was speaking.

"Caught by the wind little guy?" The Metapod shook slightly and looked away, seeming scared.

"M-Metapod…"

"He says yes." Lucario said. Another crash of thunder made them all jump.

"We need to get out of this storm!" Zayn yelled.

"Yes, you do! I mean, I'll be fine, but you guys could be struck by lightning!" Pikachu said with a cheeky smirk on his face.

"Metapod!" Zayn looked down at the green cocoon.

"Oh! He claims he knows a good place we can wait out the storm!" Pikachu said. Zayn frowned.

"We aren't that far from town; I know it's bad but-" a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree and they all yelled as it collapsed nearby with a thunderous boom.

"...is it nearby?"

"Metapod!"

"Yes." Pikachu translated. Zayn nodded.

"Ok, I'll carry you and you just tell us where to go."

"Metapod!" He picked up the bug type and the 4 of them ran deeper into the forest.

"So... it’s a wall?" Zayn said, confused as he stared at the side of the solid rock wall. The little green cocoon had led them to a small break in the trees and a wall of stone. The cliff face was covered in vines and moss but not much else, Zayn wasn’t exactly sure why the little guy brought them here.

"Metapod!" Another bolt of lightning struck nearby, making them all flinch. 

"He says it's...not a wall? Oh great, I think it's brain got damaged when it hit you!" Pikachu groaned.

"Metapod!" The Pokémon snapped back.

"Zayn… the talking cocoon is right." Lucario said, his eyes closed, and a blue aura hung around his head.

"There's...a small cave right in front of us, some kind of...strange illusion hides it." Zayn watched as Lucario slowly walked forward towards the wall…

And then suddenly walked right through it. 

"L-Luca!" He called in shock. 

**"** _It's alright, hurry inside!"_ Lucario yelled. Zayn had always trusted his instincts, they usually never led him wrong…

His instincts were screaming at him to turn around, to risk the storm and just try to make it to town…

"Ok…" Zayn and Pikachu walked through the wall…

He should have listened to his instincts.

**Liam (Present) (49 Days)**

"We need to find her."

"Liam, I searched all over that forest for hours...she’s gone." He sighed and rubbed at his tired eyes. He couldn't believe it... _Shiva was here._ She was here...and Liam not only failed to notice, but Zayn…

"Alright… alright." Niall gripped his shoulder and squeezed.

"We'll find her Liam...." He stared past Liam and into the room. They were right outside a small hospital room inside the Poke center. The hallway was illuminated in a sharp white light, nurses and a few Pokémon wandered down the white and red themed hallway behind them. A two-way window let them see the sterile white room, the soft red and brown bed, and the Pokémon sleeping in it.

"So, what did Nurse Joy say?" Liam shook his head as he stared at the unconscious Lucario, Pikachu, and…

"She said he's physically alright, she said she'll need to spend more time examining him...gonna keep him overnight." Niall nodded slowly.

"Right…" he looked up slowly at Niall.

"What time is it?" Niall blinked in surprise before pulling out his Pokédex.

"It's...5 minutes till 8." Liam nodded.

"Ok…" he felt anger flare in his chest as he stared at his hurting Omega. 

"I'm going to take Zayn back to the Inn and try to get some food in him, get him to rest...…" his jaw clenched. 

"Let’s pay Simon that visit tomorrow." Niall nodded slowly.

"How’s Zayn?" He stared through the window; the Omega was staring blankly down at Lucario. Pikachu had curled up against his blue friends’ side and fallen asleep.

"He…I don't know Niall."

"Liam!" The pair turned in surprise, Shawn was walking towards them in an old green plaid shirt and jeans. The boy quickly walked forward and stared worriedly at them before turning that worry into the room.

"I was told what happened... _fuck_ I am so sorry. I'm the Gym Leader and _this_ happens under my watch…"

"It's ok Shawn, you were in heat...you couldn't have known this would happen." Niall said. The Omega just shook his head. Liam quirked an eyebrow as he noticed Shawn look up at Niall but quickly look away.

"I... am going to go check in on Zayn." They both nodded and watched as he walked into the room.

"You know, you never told me how your date went-"

"Don't." Was all Niall had to say. Liam just nodded slowly and sighed as he fell back against the wall.

He only got to relax for a minute though, as Shawn walked back out of the room, seeming... worried.

"Everything ok?"

"Ah...yeah, he said it wasn't my fault. He...just wanted to make sure we were good to have our match tomorrow." Liam blinked in surprise.

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah...I asked if he'd rather wait until Lucario was better, but he said he had three Pokémon and he needs to keep...moving." Liam's eyes darkened and he slowly looked up to stare at the sleepy-eyed Omega, still staring down at his Lucario.

"You should take him back to the inn...he seems tired." Liam nodded and the Omega patted his shoulder.

"If he changes his mind about our match, let me know...Niall has my number." He left, sparing the aforementioned blond only a passing glance as he walks back down the hallway and towards the stairs.

"You should go after him." Liam said. Niall just shook his head.

"Please, drop it Liam." The Alpha just shrugged and dropped the subject. He perked up when Zayn suddenly stood and returned the sleeping Pikachu to his Poke ball. He made his way out of the room and moved into the waiting Liam's arms. They hugged, Liam gently scratched at the Omega's scalp and kissed his hair.

"I need to sleep I think...she said... they'd keep him overnight. Gonna have...have a specialist…" the boy broke down; his knees gave way and Liam panicked as he quickly caught the boy.

"Zayn, Zayn…" the Omega sobbed into Liam's shirt, his heart filled with pain and he just hugged the boy closer.

"C'mon, we should get you back to your room." Niall said in a soft voice. Liam helped Zayn back up to his feet and they left Zayn’s blue friend resting peacefully in bed.

**Later**

Liam softly rubbed in-between the Omega's bare shoulder blades. They were lying in bed; it was late into the night and the only light in the room was the television playing the local news. Some news woman had been interviewing a young girl and her twin sister. Apparently, they have been sitting on a popular bridge over on route 18 and challenging anyone with a Pokémon to fight. He laughed softly to himself, they couldn't have been older than 11, tiny little raven-haired Spanish girls named Gabriella and Jade. They both only had one Pokémon…

One had the massive, grass monkey Rillaboom. The other one had the water tortoise Pokémon Blastoise. Seeing the massive Pokémon towering over them as they talked to the interviewer was tickling him to no end.

"They look like they'd be fun to have a fight with. If they're on Route 18, those two must be champs." Liam said, gently rubbing Zayn’s hair. The boy just hummed and curled a little more into Liam's side. The Alpha slowly turned to look down at him and stared for a few moments before gently leaning in to kiss the boy’s temple. He slowly pulled back but was surprised when the Omega suddenly turned and chased after his lips with his own.

"Oh...babe…" Zayn huffed in frustration as Liam awkwardly remained unresponsive to the boys attempts at romance.

"Lee...want you to fuck me." The Alpha huffed and his eyebrows furrowed. He cupped Zayn's cheek and made him make eye contact.

Pain.

So much pain in his eyes. Liam still didn't know what exactly happened. Zayn had essentially gone mute after they left the forest. When he asked what happened the boy would either ignore him or start crying again. All he knew was that apparently Shiva showed up and attacked them. Considering the destruction…he had a feeling Zayn used _that_ Pokémon again.

"Zayn...I don't think we should be doing that right now…you are _not_ ok." The boy flashed angry eyes at him and just huffed.

"Liam, I am-"

"You really aren't." He said immediately. Zayn scoffed and shook his head.

"Fine, whatever then." He immediately turned his back to Liam and did his best not to touch the older man. Liam just sighed and tried to touch the boys’ arm, but he quickly jerked away from the man in response.

"Zayn...baby...I know this isn't what you want to hear, but-"

"I just want to go back to how things were before." The boy suddenly said, shutting Liam up immediately. The boy slowly turned, tears and pain all over his face.

"Before, when I was in heat and everything was simple and fun. I guess…" he paused, and Liam waited patiently for the boy to finish his thought. This was the most he'd gotten the Omega to talk in hours.

"...earlier, in the forest, I…" he huffed, and Liam felt an urge to gather the young man into his arms and hold him.

"Zayn, love if you can't talk about what happened right now, it's _ok_. It's late, you're very tired...it's _ok._ " Zayn nodded slowly.

"I... I keep saying I'm going to tell you things and then I keep pushing it off…" Liam chuckled.

"I know...we aren't the greatest communicators, are we?" Zayn let out a weak laugh and sniffled as he grabbed a tissue from the bedside table to clean his face with. 

"I mean...I know what your favorite color is Liam." He laughed and shook his head.

"You know my favorite color, but I haven't even talked about _half_ the Pokémon I own, or what I do for a living…" Zayn quirked an eyebrow.

"I... thought you were hunting down Team Rocket?" He smiled weakly.

"That's basically just a side project, remember? My real job…" he stopped, and the Omega quirked an eyebrow, but suddenly just chuckled and shook his head.

"Tomorrow. Liam, I swear it this time, tomorrow we are going to sit down and talk about…everything. I actually mean it this time." Liam smiled as Zayn slowly moved into the man's space and curled up against his broad chest. The muscular Alpha wrapped his massive arms around the boy and tangled their legs together.

"Tomorrow...after your Gym battle. You don't need even _more_ stuff weighing on your mind right before your fight." Zayn nodded.

"Ok... tomorrow." Liam smiled, glad the tired boy seemed to be feeling better, even if it was only a minor change in mood. They cuddled for only a few minutes before Zayn passed out and Liam followed right behind him.

**Liam (Present) (48 days)**

"Eggs...this is starting to feel like we have a tradition forming." Zayn said. Liam chuckled above him as he sipped on his coffee. 

"I suppose you're right." The two were sitting in their room eating breakfast. It was early in the morning, 6 AM, so all their Pokémon were still asleep. Zayn shifted in the man's lap, blushing as he could tell his mate was _still_ a bit hard after their morning sexcapade.

"How are you _still_ hard?" Liam just smirked and hugged the mostly nude boy to his bare chest.

"I have Zayn Malik sitting in his underwear on my lap...how could I _not_ be?" He just blushed heavily and looked away.

"Well...stop, it's distracting." Liam chuckled and nipped the boy's ear.

"Oh? And here I was hoping we could go for round two after we eat…" Zayn let out a small whimper and involuntarily pushed back on the growing phallus as Liam suddenly pinched and tugged on the boy's nipples and began to nibble on one of the boy's earlobes.

"Y-yes, yeah, ok let's... let's do that…b-but then no more! I need to start getting ready for the match…"

"Course babe." Liam chuckled as Zayn started to eat with a noticeable quickness. Soon enough they were done eating but became so desperate for each other they didn't even bother to leave the chair they were on and made love right there. After finishing their food (and each other), they both went to quickly shower and dress for the day.

Zayn wore a pair of black shorts and a black tank top that was a bit big on him (due to it belonging to Liam). He pulled on his tennis shoes and did up his black hair best he could. It was starting to get long, he knew he was heading to Cinder City for the next gym, so he figured he should have an easy time finding a stylist.

"I almost hate that you look good in anything. Makes the urge to keep my hands off you unbearable." Zayn giggled at that and turned slowly away from the bathroom mirror to look at him. The man also wore a black tank top, though he chose to wear a light, forest green jacket over it and a pair of tight blue jeans. Zayn noted he had another; similar hooded jacket draped over his arm.

"It just started to rain." Liam said, noting Zayn's eyes on the jacket.

"Good omen." Zayn chuckled sarcastically as he took the jacket. The two of them exited the bathroom, Zayn smiled at Pikachu and Celebi, who were sitting at the table eating Pokéfood and chatting about something.

"Hey, you two good to go?" Pikachu turned and quickly nodded.

"Of course, always." his eyes furrowed.

"But...Zayn, it feels wrong to go on without-"

"It's fine, Pikachu." Zayn’s smile tightened and his hands clenched. Liam was...worried (to put it lightly) about him, but he knew he had no real option but to stay out of his stubborn Omega's way right now.

"Nurse Joy told me a specialist was coming after lunch today, he will be ok Pikachu...but we got to keep moving." The yellow mouse sighed but nodded.

"Alright, it just...feels wrong. Doesn't this mean we are relying on...Snorman, was it?"

"Snorman is a pretty powerful Snorlax, I wouldn't worry too much Pikachu." Liam said with a smile. The group gathered their things, Celebi yawned rather loudly and tapped her Poke ball.

"Oh, do you not want to stay out for a bit longer?" Zayn said in surprise. Frost huffed softly as she floated past towards the door.

"She needs her sleep; you should return her." He nodded and did just that. They all walked slowly down the hallway, Frost and Pikachu were a few steps ahead of them, Liam figured now was the best time to tell him.

"Hey, Zayn…" he started, a frown already on his face.

"Yeah?" The boy asked, looking up at the man.

"I uh...well, I told you about the shit that went down with Niall and Shawn during your heat…" Zayn nodded and frowned.

"Yeah, they got attacked by Team Rocket members, right? Who were here...for me." He mumbled. The Alpha nodded.

"They are transferring him to a much bigger and more secure jail in an hour or so...Niall and I need to go talk to him before then. Apparently, he was only willing to talk to me-"

"Then you should go Liam." They stopped and he stared down at the boy in surprise. They were in front of the Inn now, their hoods were pulled on as the rain slowly drizzled around them.

"I... I mean I will try to be done quick so I can watch the match-"

"I know." Zayn said with a smile. He just blinked down at the boy, surprised.

"I... thought you'd be a bit more upset honestly." Zayn smiled weakly.

"Yeah...I won't deny I'm a bit disappointed. This is important though, I understand...and you should know by now that I'm not letting anything get in my way." Liam nodded slowly, a smile slowly spreading on both their faces.

"Alright...but I can at least walk you there."

"You better, I have no idea where I'm going." Zayn giggled. The Alpha felt relief knowing the Omega wasn't upset he'd be late to the match. He grabbed the boys’ hand, but before they could leave, they were stopped by a surprise guest.

"Oh! Hey, I was just coming to see you." Shawn stood in front of them and smiled warmly, holding two large cups of delicious smelling coffee. He wore a light green jacket and comfortable looking jeans. Behind him, his Venusaur let out a low call of its name and Zayn smiled as one of its vines slowly came out and patted Pikachu on the head.

"I figured I'd walk with you to the gym, I bring coffee." He said with a smile. Zayn grinned.

"Good timing, Liam was just having to leave." The Alpha looked down at him in surprise.

"Ah, babe I wanted to-"

"Lee, the sooner you are done with that, the sooner you can be done and come watch my match." The Omega said. He slowly nodded.

"Ah, yeah, yeah that makes sense."

"Hurry up then, I'm going to beat Shawn here in record time." Zayn said loudly. Shawn let out a low whistle.

"Oh, ok Malik I see how it is! Keep trash talking, gets my Pokémon fired up!" The Omegas both laughed, and Zayn leaned up to give the Alpha a quick kiss before pulling away and grabbing the coffee.

"I'll be quick!" Liam said. He gave them a nod before turning and beginning the trek towards the police station.

**Zayn (Past)**

"Again, this place is giving me the creeps. Let's just go risk it in the thunderstorm." Pikachu said, his voice low yet still echoing through the cave. The cave was very dim, being illuminated by glowing purple and blue mushrooms. Zayn recognized them, they were called Hikari Mushrooms and were rare, only found in caves and caverns that met a certain criterion of humid and dry throughout the year.

"Pikachu, shut it." The Omega said, feeling bad because he didn't exactly _disagree_ with him.

"Metapod." The green cocoon Pokémon said quietly, hopping easily down from Zayn's arms and making his way deeper into the cave.

"He wants us to follow, he says don’t be loud." Pikachu said.

"He say why?" The Omega asked.

"No." Lucario mumbled. Zayn noticed how tense the Pokémon was.

"What are you sensing?"

"...nothing, nothing but us." He replied.

That didn't make any of them feel better.

"Meta." The green cocoon Pokémon suddenly stopped, in front of them was a small bed of leaves and twigs. It happily plopped down on top of it and let out a happy repeat of its name.

"Home sweet home." Pikachu sighed, sitting down next to the Pokémon. Zayn looked around. They were now in a dome shaped cavern; Zayn felt a twinge of curiosity and confusion. The whole area seemed almost man made with how smooth the walls were and how perfectly shaped it was. They sat off to the side but in the dead center of the room was a hole. Zayn could see it was a fairly large hole, a perfect circle but couldn't tell how deep it was. The entire room was illuminated by the mushrooms and Zayn could _just_ make out the sounds of rain outside.

"I guess this isn't so bad, now that I'm used to it." Pikachu shrugged.

"Metapod." The Pokémon said. Zayn slowly stood and took a few steps towards the hole.

"M-Metapod!" The cocoon Pokémon suddenly said.

"Uh, Zayn, he says don't go near that hole." Pikachu said. Zayn ignored them, his curiosity getting the better of him, and soon was standing over it.

No mushrooms seemed to grow in the hole, so Zayn couldn't tell how deep it was. All Zayn could see was darkness…

A pair of glowing blue eyes were suddenly staring back at him.

He gasped and quickly backed up…

But froze solid

His entire body suddenly froze, he could no longer move, he couldn't even blink.

"Zayn?!" Lucario said, worry in his voice. He tried to speak, but his eyes watered with stinging pain and his lips refused to move.

" _Who are you?_ " A powerful, commanding, male voice boomed and echoed throughout the cave. Zayn screamed inside as he tried to move but he couldn't move an inch.

And then, he appeared.

He rose slowly up from the depths of the pit, his glowing blue eyes turned in a scowl as they burned a hole into his skull. Its grey body was strangely disproportioned, a thin torso and arms yet large lower half and a thick purple tail. Its hands were three fingers with bulbs at the ends…

What was this monster?

" _Monster_. Yes, that is what I am…" Zayn felt control return to his body...but it didn't matter as he felt an invisible hand suddenly squeezing down on his wind-pipe. He choked and gagged, clawing at a force that wasn't around his neck and flailing as his feet slowly left the stone floor. The force was _just_ light enough so he could breathe, but a little tighter and Zayn would surely lose that ability. 

"Let him go you...you…" the Omega could hear the fear in his Pikachu's voice, but couldn't turn his head to see him.

"Did you not hear your master little mouse? _I am a monster_." Zayn cried out as sharp needles filled his brain, and he was filled with unbearable pain. He heard Pikachu scream his name and heard the familiar sound of his thunderbolt attack…

The creature simply held out it's arm and took the blast to its hand, doing _nothing._

"That was stupid of you, my quarrel was only with the human...and the bug." He turned his angry eyes on Metapod, who whimpered and tried weakly to hide behind a nearby rock.

"Did I not make our deal clear when you accidentally stumbled into my home? You could stay until you evolved, _but no guests whatsoever_. Why would you break our deal for this... _filth._ " the cocoon yelped in fear as it was suddenly raised into the air.

"M-m-meta, Metapod!" The monster sneered.

" _He has a good heart!?_ You can judge this human's heart after just meeting him?! No, they are all the same… _evil_." A blue ball of energy suddenly flew at high speeds towards the creature.

The monster was quicker, however.

His arm was extended, and Lucario's Aura Sphere attack was suspended right in front of the monster's hand. Everyone was silent for what felt like an eternity.

"I see...you will not forget your master. He is too ingrained in you...then so be it, I will set you free." Zayn suddenly gasped as his head was forcibly turned to stare at his terrified looking Lucario.

"You can watch, _human._ " Zayn wasn't sure he'd ever heard so much palpable hatred in a single word before.

The Aura Sphere suddenly began to grow and quickly changed color from blue to a dark purple.

"P-please." Zayn managed to choke out, his eyes watering with tears. The ball of energy exploded forward like a rocket and collided into the defenseless Lucario. Luca screamed as he was slammed into the stone wall and the energy exploded in his face, making Zayn's ears ring painfully.

"LUCARIO!" Pikachu screamed. He began running for his friend, now lying on the ground with literal smoke coming off him. Metapod was suddenly flung through the air and he collided with Pikachu, sending them both tumbling into the nearby wall.

" _Stop!_ " Zayn managed to croak out. His head was forcibly jerked back, and he was met with the creature’s angry eyes.

"You enter my home, think of me as a monster...and you ask for mercy?" The creature laughed, it sounded bitter and forced.

"Who are you, arrogant human? Let your name be the last thing to slither out of your throat before I shut it forever." The grip around his throat tightened and his hands dropped to his sides as he started to see black spots in his vision.

"Z-Zayn… _Malik."_

The creature froze, its eyes filled with surprise and stopped glowing, revealing its natural purple eyes.

"...Malik?"

_Click_

The pair froze, the monster's eyes widened, and Zayn felt confusion as they both slowly looked down…

Zayn wasn't even sure when he pulled the Master Ball from his pocket. Even now, with it pressed against the creatures’ stomach, it didn't register in his hand.

"You think this pathetic thing can-" the creature was cut off suddenly, it became energy and disappeared into the ball. Zayn just let out a soft gasp as he was immediately dropped onto the floor. He coughed loudly and painfully as he managed to finally take in a full breath. He heard the ball clang to the floor, and he panicked before quickly diving after it, stopping it right before it rolled into the hole. He held the ball in his hand, staring down at it as it pinged for the second time, third time…

He was panting heavily, his body trying hard to regain the breath that was just being choked out of him. He stared at the shaking, still blinking Master Ball in his hand. It was three clicks, then the Pokémon was caught. That was the deal.

It was on click number 16 and _still going_

"Zayn…just leave it, we got to get out of here!" His friends voice was far away, like a distant dream as he stayed frozen.

It was a Master Ball, it couldn't fail...could it? His Pikachu ran up and shook his arm violently.

"Zayn."

Click, click, click………..

They both froze as it shrank in his hand and stopped clicking.

It took 27 clicks before the monster was caught. Pikachu grabbed his arm.

"Zayn...that's great and all, but Luca is in bad shape. We need to get him to a Pokecenter! Now!" He slowly shook his head and nodded.

"Ok...ok yeah…" he stood and ran over to his friend. Pikachu seemed to have helped him into a sitting position against the wall. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing heavily.

"Luca? Lucario, can you hear me?" The Pokémon groaned but nodded slowly.

"Ok...the Poke Ball should keep you in good shape until we get to the Pokecenter." Zayn didn't wait for a response and quickly returned him to his Ball.

"M-Metapod…" Zayn looked over at the shivering Metapod. 

"He said he's sorry."

"Are you hurt little guy?" The Pokémon responded.

"He said he's shook up but ok." Zayn nodded.

"Good...you can come with us if you want." The Metapod seemed to think for a moment before seeming to nod (hard to tell with him being a cocoon and all) and turned to begin making his way back to the cave entrance.

Zayn noticed that the strange illusion covering the entrance was now gone. The rain continued to pour, but the storm seemed to have settled some. The trio took advantage of the calm and headed for town.

**Liam (Present)**

"We've had to keep him somewhat sedated; he has severe burns from the electricity." Liam nodded seriously as Niall, Officer Jenny, and himself walked down the hall. Turns out Simon's wounds from the Zapdos attack had left him in a much worse state than even Niall had realized. The man was covered head to toe in extremely painful electrical burns and had apparently gone blind in one of his eyes.

_'What? Volt held back, he's lucky he's not dead.'_

After wasting time heading to the police station first, they were quickly redirected to the local hospital, where Simon was currently residing under heavy guard.

"I would be quick; we're helicoptering him to Fayz City in half an hour." She said, stopping outside a white room with two other officers standing outside. Jenny nodded at them and one of the officers opened the door. Simon was covered in bandages. His arms fully wrapped up and parts of his head were wrapped as well. Only one eye was exposed, but Liam could tell he was heavily sedated by the glazed look and vacant expression. 

"Simon, can you hear us?" Niall said. The man's eye fluttered and slowly turned on them.

"Good... you're here." The older Alpha’s voice was scratchy and rough, just the act of speaking seemed to cause him a little pain.

"We have a few questions Simon, if you answer them...we can maybe see about a lighter sentence, other perks...you agree?" Liam asked. The man sneered but suddenly began a coughing fit and moaned in pain afterwards.

"Simon, just answer the questions...it'll be easier for you." Niall growled.

" _Whatever._ " The man mumbled. Liam nodded and began to ask questions.

"What's Shiva's plan?" Simon grunted.

"You think she'd tell me that?"

"Alright, where's her hideout?"

"Welldrop Mountain outside Fayz City." He said immediately. Liam frowned at that but continued.

"Any clue where your partner is?" The man just grinned but winced and his face became neutral again.

"None."

"Why do you want Celebi?"

"You assume I know everything huh? All I know is we need legendary Pokémon, that Celebi is the first one we've found in months."

"Well, two now." Niall chuckled. Simon growled in annoyance.

"Yes, and I’m lucky it didn't kill me."

"Yeah, you are." Niall replied with an amused smile. Simon just coughed painfully and looked away from him.

"Anything else I can help you with?"

"Do you know _anything_ about Shiva's plan?" The man shook his head.

"No, we were told to stop harassing trainers on the routes and start investigating legendary Pokémon. Supposedly there's one in every major city." Liam frowned.

"So, you're saying there are other squad leaders investigating major cities?" Simon simply nodded.

"Why would you tell us that? Why are you being so cooperative suddenly?" Niall asked with a weary look in his eye. The man just chuckled weakly and said nothing for a beat before responding.

"Anything else?"

"One more...have you found any other legendary Pokémon?" Simon chuckled weakly.

"No.” Liam nodded.

"Alright...then we're done here." He turned immediately to leave but stopped at the call of his name.

"Liam, wait, you aren't going to ask me?" The Alpha stopped and turned to stare at the bandage covered man.

"Ask you what?" The man suddenly gave him a cruel, evil grin. The action clearly caused the man great pain, but he did it anyway.

"You aren't going to ask why I refused to talk to anyone but you?" Liam frowned.

"Why?" The man suddenly began to laugh, the sound both filled with joy and great pain.

"Because you _idiot_...I needed to give her time." Liam froze as realization quickly dawned on him.

He asked for Liam...so that he was out of the way.

Liam quickly shot out the door as the man's pain filled cackling filled the room.

"Liam!" Niall called, rushing down the hall after him.

"Hey, what-?" Liam didn't stop moving but did turn to Officer Jenny as he passed.

"Gather your people Jenny! The Gym is about to be attacked!" Her eyes widened in shock and she quickly nodded.

"On it! I'll gather everyone outside the waterfall!" He nodded then rushed down the stairs, heading for the entrance of the hospital.

"Liam-" 

"Call in Zapdos, we may need his help." Liam said immediately. Niall nodded seriously as they jogged out of the hospital. Liam felt rage fueling his movements as he pulled out his Pokémon.

"What?" Incineroar asked, yawning as he jogged to keep up.

"Wake up Incineroar this is _not_ the time." Liam growled. The cat’s eyes lit up in surprise at the man's anger and nodded seriously.

"That bad huh?"

"Liam, what's going on?" Blaziken asked. Liam quickly explained his suspicion that Camila was currently attacking the Gym while Liam was away.

"I'll run ahead and scout the Gym." Blaziken said, already taking off at speeds only a Pokémon could pull off.

The four of them (Niall's Jolteon quickly caught up to them after they left the hospital) soon were outside the gym and heading for the concrete ramp that led behind the waterfall.

The Paradise Falls Gym was a carefully maintained cavern filled with natural moss and other harmless greenery. It could grow because the people who built the gym 80 years ago did their best not to disturb the local fauna and plant life. The entrance to the gym was like Desert Towns, booths where you bought tickets to watch the matches and register to fight the Gym leaders sat on either side of a massive pair of stone doors. The difference though, was that the walls were covered in vines and a few roosting bird Pokémon. The front lobby was empty when they walked in, telling Liam that the match must have already started.

"I saw no signs of anyone suspicious, in fact I didn't see anyone at all." Blaziken said as they walked in.

"Right…when we go in, survey the crowds but don't draw too much attention to yourself."

"I better stay out here...If anyone walks in or tries to leave, they'll have myself and the local police force to deal with." Niall said. Liam nodded slowly.

"Ok...I'll call your Pokédex if I need help." He nodded.

"You better...good luck." They gave each other a quick fist bump before parting ways. Liam approached the booth, flanked by his two fire Pokémon on either side.

"Hello, I'm afraid the match had already-"

"I need to get in there, I have reason to believe that there might be a serious threat." The woman behind the booth pursed her lips. She was an older woman with jet black hair and large round glasses on her face. Her skin was a pearly white and she wore a comfortable looking grey cardigan over a black blouse and black yoga pants.

"Sir, once a match has started the doors stay closed…" he sighed, they didn't have time for this. He reached into his wallet and paused for a moment before huffing and holding out the card. The woman's eyes bulged out of her skull and she took the card with shaky fingers.

"T-this is...y-you…"

"Please ma'am, we really don't have time. Scan it and let me in." She sat up straight and quickly scanned the card, her breath caught as the computer confirmed that it was indeed real. She handed it back to him and nodded.

"I'll open the doors; I apologize for the trouble sir." He nodded back.

"Leave them open, we may have to evacuate everyone." She nodded.

"O-of course sir." She quickly pressed a button, and the giant doors began too slowly open.

"Was that wise? She knows who you are now." Blaziken asked behind him. Liam nodded slowly.

"I know…but he's more important, we didn't have time to argue with her." Blaziken nodded slowly and said nothing else. He took a deep breath and released as the doors finished opening. They rushed down the hall, Liam could hear the crowd cheering at something rather loudly and consistently...did he miss the match? He rounded the corner and soon found himself in the stands. The arena was finely cut grass with a white ring drawn into it. Wrapped completely around it were the stands, about ten feet up and a thick pane of glass protected the audience members from the fighting Pokémon inside. The stands were surprisingly full, Liam scanned them for a moment before finally eyeing Oda a little way to his left. He took a quick moment to see how the match was going but stopped dead in his tracks as he did.

Zayn and Shawn were standing in the middle of the ring, shaking hands, and laughing as Shawn handed the boy a badge. He couldn't believe it, Zayn won already. He missed it.

"Ah, Liam!" The Alpha looked back to find Oda standing in front of him.

"Where have you been? You missed a hell of a match!" 

"I can see that." He said, frowning.

"Well c'mon, let's go congratulate the boys." Oda chuckled. He nodded.

"Yeah, al-"

And then, it happened. The voice, the voice that terrified millions, the voice that could bring down even the fiercest of Pokémon, the voice...of a demon.

" _Jigglypuff! Jiiiiiglypuuuuuff! Jiiiiggglypufffff…"_

"Cover your ears!" Liam yelled, quickly shoving his fingers into his ear sockets. The PA system suddenly turned on and the horrific sounds of a Jigglypuff singing filled the entire gym. Liam could already see the locals slowly slumping in their seats as they fell into a deep and fast sleep. Oda groaned as he slowly fell onto the ground.

"Shit!" Liam growled, his eyes getting heavier. He could still hear her song. He turned and tried to head for the exit...but found the entrance to be blocked by metal shutters. They were trapped. He turned, Blaziken gave him a weak look as he fell to the ground, Incineroar not doing much better. He pulled out his Pokédex but fumbled it and it clattered to the ground. He tried to reach down to grab it but stumbled and slowly fell against the glass. He weakly turned his head and stared out into the arena. Liam could make out Shawn and Zayn, who both had something in their ears, they looked like earbuds, but it was hard to tell as his vision began to blur. He noticed their Pokémon were asleep…they were defenseless now

"ZAYN!" he yelled. The boy looked up towards him, his eyes wide. Liam tried to say more, but he finally succumbed and fell the rest of the way to the floor and blacked out.

**Zayn (Present)**

"You won! Mate, that Snorlax of yours is nuts. I've never seen one move so fast without food being a motivator." Shawn laughed. Zayn laughed at that.

"Yeah, he kind of astounded me too."

"Hey, I did really good against that Vileplume! Even if I did lose…" Pikachu grumbled from Zayn's shoulder. Shawn grinned at him.

"Hey, you really did buddy! I couldn't keep Vileplume out after that fight, you really got her good with that headbutt." Pikachu grinned at that and Froslass just snorted behind him.

"Once again, I had to pick up the slack." Pikachu just turned on her and stuck out his tongue as the announcer declared Zayn the winner. He slowly looked down at the badge, a beautiful emerald green Leaf outlined in a dark purple metal. He went to grab his badge case, but Shawn suddenly held up Zayn’s hand and the crowd cheered. He laughed a bit awkwardly and waved at the crowd. He could see some people filming with their phones, he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised he would end up on the internet eventually. Shawn let his hand go and Zayn finished putting the badge away. He went to say something to Shawn but froze when the singing suddenly started.

Zayn recognized immediately what was going on. He quickly pulled out his earbuds and shoved them in, pushing and holding them there.

"Cover your ears!" He yelled, barely able to hear himself. Shawn seemed to have the same idea as him and shoved in earbuds. He turned, feeling a bit of panic as his two Pokémon had already fallen asleep and laid peacefully on the ground. He didn't hear the Alpha, so he couldn't explain why he decided to look up at the stands and found the man. Liam gave him a fearful look and slowly pressed his hand to the glass. Zayn slowly raised his hand, but the man disappeared as he presumably fell to the ground.

Suddenly, the singing stopped.

Zayn felt his hands tighten as all he could suddenly hear was clapping.

"Earbuds, _nice thinking!_ " A voice said suddenly. Zayn slowly turned back towards Shawn's side of the arena as he pulled his earbuds out. Shawn had a scared look on his face as he stared at the woman and her small army of Team Rocket thugs. All of them wore black pants and black turtlenecks with giant red R's on them. They wore black newsboy caps and black masks over their eyes, like something a bank robber would wear in those old movies his parents used to watch. He counted 20 total, including the woman. Zayn noted she was a very beautiful Alpha, but that beauty was marred by an ugly, gloating sneer on her face.

"Jigglypuff, the _best._ Can knock out just about anything." The girl smiled. The two of them said nothing, she just pursed her lips and huffed.

"Oh, come on, nothing to say? Fine, well…" she tossed out two Poke balls, the pink fluff ball Jigglypuff and the massive purple ghost type Gengar soon stood in front of her. The rest of her crew began tossing out their Pokémon and Shawn slowly moved back to stand next to Zayn.

"Zayn...my Pokémon are all weak from the battle. I... don’t know...I'm sorry I-" Shawn turned to look at the Omega and... he was the picture of calm. He was shocked, how was Zayn so calm right now? This was bad _._ This was _bad_ , bad.

"Zayn…"

"Shawn...need you to promise me something." Shawn blinked in surprise before nodding slowly.

"Ok...what?"

"I'm going to get us out of this…" he slowly reached up and grabbed his necklace. Shawn's eyes widened as the boy tugged it out of his shirt, revealing a Master Ball.

"Is...is that…?"

“Promise me you won’t judge me too much for this.” Zayn finished.

"You two done?" Zayn sighed as he turned to stare at the woman, her eyes sparkling with amusement. The sound of a radio buzzing to life filled his ears and a voice began to speak.

" _Mrs. Camila, Horan is attacking the front with the cops…"_ Zayn could hear people yelling and the sounds of explosions in the background.

"Keep them occupied." Was all she said into the radio before chuckling and dropping the radio. 

"Time to leave boys."

"No." Zayn said in a calm voice. She raised an eyebrow.

"You don't honestly think telling me no is going to stop me, do you?" She grinned.

"I'll give you three options. One, come quietly no fuss. Two, Jigglypuff here is going to knock you out and we take you. Three, Gengar…" the large purple ghost Pokémon grinned at his name.

"Is going to knock you out and torture you both with nightmares. What's it going to be?" Zayn nodded.

"I'll give you two options then. Leave now...or stay and let me take my anger out on you." She gave him an exaggerated pouty face.

"Aww, is someone that upset at me? I was even nice and waited until both of you wore out your Pokémon…"

"Not you, my Mother...and Shiva." She raised an eyebrow.

"Mommy issues? Seriously? You going to start railing on about your mommy issues?" Zayn nodded.

"Ah, so you don't know about the attack yesterday. I guess Shiva doesn't consider you important enough…" he slowly walked forward, Camila gave him a confused look.

"What? Ok, now you've actually lost me-"

"Yesterday, Shiva and my own mother attacked me. They wanted to see what was in here." He said, holding up the now expanded Master ball.

"I hesitated, told them that I couldn't control him, and they could die...they didn't listen. They attacked me anyway. One of my best friends is in the Pokecenter now, he won't wake up...my mom's Alakazam did something to him. Knocked him out to make me think he had died...to make me mad." His eyes darkened.

"I summoned him. He ripped Shiva's Ursaring into a hundred pieces because my mother's Alakazam teleported my mom and Shiva out of there before we could...before I could get my hands on them." He scowled at her, his body tensing.

"It didn't make me feel better...I'm still angry." Camila clicked her tongue and laughed at him.

"Is that supposed to scare me? You are outnumbered and surrounded, nothing you have can save you. I admit though, this is the most ridiculous lie I’ve ever been told.” Her men started to laugh behind her, Zayn said nothing and waited for them to stop.

“Well, c’mon then, let’s see this big scary monster that supposedly ripped an Ursaring into a million pieces.” She snorted.

"You shouldn't call him a monster...he doesn't like it." Zayn said in a neutral tone. She scoffed.

"Yeah, because the Pokémon in the Poke Ball can hear me…"

"He can, he's been listening this entire time." Zayn said softly. She shook her head.

"Alright, I'm done entertaining your fear rambling. Gengar-" he clicked the button again and the Master Ball burst open, revealing…

Camila's voice died in her throat; her eyes wide because…

"What... _what is that thing?_ " She said, quickly pulling out her Pokédex. Zayn said nothing as his creature floated _just_ off the ground, hovering with his arms crossed and a neutral expression on his face. She quickly scanned the creature and…

**_???_ **

"W-what? There's no...no entry?" She looked slowly up, a scowl forming.

"What the hell is that Malik?" Zayn said nothing, a hard expression on his face.

"I gave you a chance." She scoffed at that and looked at her Gengar.

"Gengar, use-"

Gengar was suddenly thrown across the room as if shot out of a cannon. He crashed into the glass; glass that was supposed to be able to protect the audience from anything and sent a sprawling spider-web of cracks running through it. The Gengar groaned as it slowly slid to the floor. Camila just stared at it with wide, saucer like eyes and an open mouth. She slowly turned to look back, the creature and Zayn hadn't moved or stopped staring at her.

"W-what-"

"I realized something, after Shiva and my mother left, something I should have realized sooner...I really, really _hate_ Team Rocket." She swallowed nothing, her mouth feeling particularly dry.

"You torture and use people and Pokémon like tools. Your group steals friends from one another, you destroy families...you people killed my mom's best friend and turned her into a monster…” He slowly looked up at his powerful Pokémon, the creature slowly turned to look down at him.

“Don’t kill them, but make sure they all regret ever joining Team Rocket.” The creature didn’t respond at first.

“I thought I told you, I don’t take orders from you.” It said out-loud. The girl laughed nervously, the fact that she could understand that ugly monster was incredibly unnerving to her, especially how…dead its voice was.

“W-what? No, this can’t…”

“I know…but we’re better than them.” He spoke softly, his eyes serious. The Pokémon shook his head.

“Fine…but this is the last time I assist you with something else that isn’t part of our original bargain.” He nodded.

“Ok.”

“W-wait, what is that monster- “She suddenly screamed in pain as her arm was twisted painfully backwards, breaking with a loud snapping noise. Her men all started to scream at the sight, but all of them suddenly froze in place, no long able to move or even blink. The Pokemon’s eyes began to glow bright with blue energy and the various Poke balls belonging to the Team Rocket members began to rise into the air. One by one, they suddenly were broken and shattered into pieces. The Pokémon that were summoned all seemed shocked, standing frozen as they were unsure what to do.

“Pokémon…your masters are weak and unworthy of you, freedom is yours. Be gone from this place or suffer the same fate.” They all looked at each other, some seemed conflicted.

“LEAVE.” The powerful psychic Pokémon snarled. All of them seemed to snap out of it and quickly bolted for the door. The only one who stayed was the Gengar, who was giving Zayn an angry look. Zayn’s powerful creature turned eyes on the Gengar. He flinched at that and ran after the rest of the freed Pokémon.

“W-what…what are you?” A pain filled voice croaked out. Zayn turned back to stare at the woman. Her men were all frozen behind her, but she was slowly backing up and cradling her broken arm. She went wide eyed and screamed as she felt painful fingers clawing and ripping into her mind, cold and prodding and seemingly everywhere. The men behind her began to scream, their eyes wide with fear as blood began to dribble from all their noses. The creature rose slowly into the air, floating above them, dominating them.

“I don’t actually know his name. It’s not meant to be said by humans, we aren’t worthy to even know it…” Zayn said, slowly walking forward to stand next to the floating Pokémon.

“But…humans did give him a name…” He looked up at him, the Pokémon looked back.

“His name…is- “

**Zayn (Past)**

"He's going to be alright dear. He is very banged up, but I've seen worse." Zayn sighed in relief and fell backwards into his chair.

"I... thank you Nurse Joy." The kindly, red haired nurse just smiled at him and patted his shoulder.

"You can take a breather now sweetheart." He nodded shakily and rubbed his arm.

"Yeah...yeah." she left, and he looked over his heavily wounded Lucario, who was lying on a small hospital bed. He sighed and took a glance at Pikachu, who was asleep in a nearby chair with that silly cocoon Pokémon Metapod passed out next to him.

“Safaa is going to adore you.” Zayn chuckled weakly to himself. He slowly stood and left the room. He had already called his father and…sort of told him what happened. He told him why he left, but obviously left out the part where they walked into a cave and…

Well, anyway, his dad wasn’t happy, but he said he’d come pick them up once the storm settled. His thoughts wandered back to the cave, back to the Master ball in his left pocket that felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. He stared at the unconscious Lucario for a few minutes before finally making up his mind. He slowly left the room and made for the entrance.

“Oh, it’s still raining out there dear, you might need an umbrella.” Nurse Joy said with a smile, sitting behind her front desk.

“That would be lovely, thank you.” He said, taking the umbrella that seemed to have been designed to look like a massive Poke ball when out. He walked outside and quickly walked around the Pokecenter. He could see a few people running across the pavement on the other side of the road. He ignored the locals and walked into the small, forested area behind the Pokecenter. The thunder and lightning seemed to have stopped, but the rain hadn’t let up yet. He made sure he was far away from the town, surrounding by rain and tree’s when he decided…to let his newest Pokémon out.

The Pokémon was floating in front of him, it screamed in anger and immediately began to rip up trees around him.

“YOU DAMN HUMAN, YOU- “Zayn immediately returned to creature to its ball and fell slowly down onto his knees as they gave out underneath him. When a Pokémon is captured, a small chip is put inside them that connects them to the trainers Pokédex. This chip serves several purposes, it registers the Pokémon as yours, it breaks the language barrier, and finally…that Pokémon no longer can hurt its trainer. The chip stops any Pokémon from willingly hurting their trainer by literally sending little signals into the brain that stop them from taking any harmful action towards whoever owns the Pokédex they are registered too.

Zayn had a strong feeling that if it weren’t for that little chip, releasing the Pokémon just now would have led to his swift and brutal death.

Zayn felt fear fill his brain, the chip would protect him…but that protection didn’t blanket anyone else. None of the locals, none of his family…

This Pokémon couldn’t hurt Zayn, but everyone else…

It was too dangerous, too powerful…

He slowly stood on shaky legs and walked a little deeper into the forest. He soon enough found a small lake, it wasn’t massive…but if he tied something heavy around it and tossed the ball in, it would sink and hopefully get stuck in the mud. He stared down at it, stared for a long time. He slowly held his hand out, the rain slowed and suddenly became a light drizzle. He took a deep breath and bit his lip; he should get rid of it…

It was too dangerous, too powerful…

So, terribly powerful….

He wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but he pulled back his hand and clicked the button, expanding it. He clicked again and the creature was soon floating in front of him yet again.

“ _How DARE you do this to me! Release me now or-_ “

“I want to make a deal with you.” He said. The creature froze, its eyes narrowed.

“Excuse me?”

“I want to make a deal with you.” He repeated, hands shaking at his sides. The creature slowly floated forward, soon towering over the Omega with that angry glare still on its face.

“I see, you seem to think you have all the power here because you caught me with an underhanded tactic…” His eyes glowed and a nearby tree was ripped out of the Earth. Zayn’s breath caught in his throat as the massive oak was suddenly flung into the air as if shot from a cannon, disappearing into the dark grey sky.

“I am well aware that I can’t hurt _you_ …but I swear to you boy, I will destroy everything you love, I will make you regret walking into my cave _Malik._ ” Zayn huffed, his hands fidgeting as he tried to remain calm, even though his family was currently being threatened.

“If you would just let me talk- “

“If you let me go now, I’ll just kill you- “

“Stop! Just hear me out- “

“But if you delay letting me go for any longer- “

“ _LET ME TALK!_ ” Zayn snarled in anger. The Pokémon snarled back and thrashed out with an arm, a wave of force exploding from its hand and destroying multiple trees.

“Don’t you dare- “

“If you interrupt me again, I’ll return you to this ball and bury you so deep in the Earth that no one will ever find you!” Zayn snapped. The Pokémon went silent, clearly fuming but that seemed to silence him.

“Ok…thank you.” He said. Silence, he coughed and nodded.

“Alright, well…I want to say I’m sorry. We didn’t know you were there, the Metapod didn’t tell us and we wouldn’t have gone in had we known. I want to release you…but I have a strong feeling that you’ll just kill me if I do that.”

“You certainly are perceptive.” The creature growled. He laughed awkwardly, he wanted to crawl under a rock and hide right now but instead he kept going.

“But I…have a deal for you. I think I have a deal that would benefit both of us, if you were willing to- “

“You take too long to speak Malik; I will simply read your mind.” His eyes widened as the creature held out a hand and he gasped as he felt cold fingers slowly running over his brain. The Pokémon lowered its hand as Zayn shivered, that did _not_ feel good.

“So…if I help you beat these ‘Gym battles’, the ‘Elite Four’, and this ‘Champion’…you will give me land where I can be in peace?”

“The Elite Four and the Champion live in King’s Peak. It’s a massive mountain on the other side of the region, behind it…is a massive forest, protected by a mountain range that surrounds it like a wall. It’s called the Champions Garden.” The creature just stared past him, seeming to be thinking heavily on this.

“…go on.”

“Once I become Champion, I am granted access to the Champions Garden. See, the mountain range is so large that helicopters and other human vehicles can’t enter, the wind currents are too strong. The public aren’t allowed inside it, because its filled with really rare and powerful Pokémon…so…” The Pokémon nodded slowly at this.

“I have not heard of this place…but you don’t appear to be fabricating all of this from thin air…” He was silent for what felt like ages to Zayn, but finally he spoke.

“Alright, Zayn Malik, I agree to the contract…but let me make this deal completely clear.” Zayn gasped in surprise as he was easily lifted off the ground by psychic power. The Pokémon floated forward and got right in Zayn’s face.

“I agree to help you become Champion, but I do not take orders from you. I will measure each encounter myself and do what I know will be best…do not think you are my trainer boy; you have nothing to teach me.” His eyes flared in anger.

“As soon as my end of the bargain is complete, you will release me into this ‘Champions Garden’. If you fail to do this…” The creature suddenly chuckled, no real humor in his voice.

“That ball prevents me from harming you…but there are ways around that. It would be easy for me to send you into a deep slumber, then nothing would stop me from destroying everything you hold dear.” Zayn eyes widened in shock, he hadn’t even thought of that, oh shit.

“That’s right Malik, you should be afraid…don’t make me angry boy. If you decide to summon me, you better be prepared to deal with the consequences.” He suddenly lowered Zayn to the ground, his eyes stopped glowing. Zayn shivered and stared down at the ground.

“Or, you could release me now…I despise humans, but I recognize you could have thrown me in this lake just a few minutes ago and left. If you release me now, I will leave, and you will not see me again. I will forgive you capturing me.” Zayn laughed weakly at that and shook his head.

“I’m supposed to believe that?” The creature growled.

“Yes, unlike humans, I actually keep my word…the choice is yours boy.” It was strange, but Zayn…believed him. He wasn’t sure why, but he did. Which meant he had an out here, he could release this Pokémon and forget this all ever happened. He could go home, recover from his injuries, train up with Pikachu and Lucario and maybe try leaving again in a couple months or so…

But…with this Pokémon…the idea of beating his mother’s record becomes much more real…

The two sat in silence as the rain continued to fall around them. A couple Psyduck and its evolved form Golduck waddled out of the forest and dove into the lake.

“What will it be boy?”

There was a long silence, he slowly looked up at him and nodded.

“Deal.” The Pokémon nodded.

“So be it then.”

“In human tradition, we shake…hands.” The Pokémon scowled.

“The deal is made…leave it at that.” He nodded.  
“Ok…I’ll need time to, ah, recover after today. And I need time to build up some money before I head out for the Gyms…”

“You will take a year to prepare yourself for this journey, if you take any longer then our deal is null, and you let me go immediately.” The Pokémon said. Zayn blinked in surprise, then quickly nodded.

“Ok, ok thank you a year is plenty- “

“Good, then return me to the Ball…I wish to rest.” He nodded slowly.

“Oh…ok.” He clicked the button to expand it.

“And remember boy, don’t you dare summon me unless you are ready for the consequences. I do not take orders from _you_.” He growled. The Omega nodded.

“Of…of course.” He went to click the button but stopped to slowly look up at the Pokemon’s face. Its eyes were turned up towards the sky, a distant and tired look on his face.

“Um…excuse me, before I return you I just…had one more question.”

“No, you may not ask me what my name is…my name will not be sullied by a human.” He nodded slowly.

“Ok…then, uh, I guess I’ll…see you in a year.” He nodded.

“One year.” He returned him to the Master ball and let out the breath it felt like he’d been holding in for hours.

“One year.” He said softly, slowly turning to head back to the Poke center.

* * *

"What... _what is that_ _thing-_ " she didn't get to finish her thought as her head was suddenly twisted 180 degrees with a loud popping sound. The other men in the van screamed as they all tried to get out, but their bones snapped, and they were twisted into unimaginable shapes. He closed his eyes and tried not to look. He felt the air hit him as the sound of tearing metal and breaking glass filled his ears.

Then, it was all gone.

He slowly opened his eyes, quickly averting them as the woman's body was still there, her face frozen in a dead eyed look of surprise and terror, but the others were simply...gone.

Except for the creature, who hovered just above the van and was staring down at him.

"...what did you do to the other men?" He felt the monster's voice in his head.

"They are deep in the sand and will only be found in memory." 

Zayn nodded slowly at this.

"Oh...ok."

"I can return us to the inn if you need." He spoke. Zayn nodded slowly.

"Oh...ok, th-" he yelped in surprise as he was suddenly surrounded by blue light and in a flash, he was standing back in front of the Desert Town Inn, as if getting kidnapped hadn't just happened.

"Thank you." The creature seemed to ignore him and spoke.

"You don't seem to need me anymore, return me." Zayn nodded slowly; his cheek still stung as he slowly pulled the Master ball from his pocket. He slowly looked up at the creature, who was staring away from him and up at the night sky.

“H-hey…” The Pokémon looked down at him.

“What?”

“If…you don’t mind my asking…we haven’t seen each other in a year and – “The Pokémon shook its head.

“Why do you care so much about my name, human?”

“It would just be easier to…refer to you, talk to you I guess…” The Pokémon shook its head and looked away.

**_Mer_ ** _-_

Zayn blinked in surprise, a voice in his head but not the creatures. A girl’s voice, but not one he recognized. The creature let out an angry growl and its eyes began to glow with a bright light as it sharply turned its head to stare down at him. 

" _Stay out of my head._ " He just blinked up at the creature in confusion.

"What? I... that was-"

"Return me before I turn this inn into rubble!" The monster snarled. Zayn quickly held up the ball and returned him. He took a shaky breath and stared down at the ball for a few moments before slowly putting it away and heading inside.

* * *

Zayn cried, he sobbed into Lucario’s fur as his friend let out weak and shallow breaths. Zayn heard a noise above him. He slowly looked up at the floating Pokémon, who stared down at him with a look that Zayn thought almost resembled pity.

“I removed the threat, but the Alakazam is skilled, he took advantage of the moment I was busy with the Ursaring and teleported them away.” He nodded slowly and stared down at his friend, fresh tears prickling his eyes.

“Thank you…” The Pokémon was silent, Zayn expected he was probably going to ignore that. Silence, the Omega sat petting his Lucario’s head and hugging him tight to his chest.

“If you don’t need me anymore, then return me.” Zayn nodded slowly, his eyes fluttering at the voice.

“Y-yeah, yeah sorry…” He grabbed the ball and clicked the button. He prepared to press it again when a voice made him freeze in place.

“Mewtwo.” He slowly looked up at the Pokémon, who was staring down at him with a slightly agitated look on his face.

“W-what?” The Pokémon huffed.

“That is not my real name, it’s the name…given to me by humans a long time ago. But if you are to refer to me by name, then I am Mewtwo.” Zayn nodded slowly at this, unsure what to say.

“Return me.” Mewtwo said. Zayn nodded slowly and raised the ball. He returned the Pokémon and stared at his current home for a long moment before putting the ball away and continuing to try and wake up his friend.

**Zayn (Present)**

“Mew…two?” She said, eyes filled with pain and fear. He nodded.

“Yeah, and I hope you remember it…” He got right in her face; his eyes filled with rage.

“I know what you’ve done, I know what you tried to do to Shawn…Mewtwo says I should just let him kill you, would be easier…” Her eyes fluttered with fear and she bowed her head as the last of her resolve crumbled.

“P-please, please don’t kill me- “

“We won’t, we aren’t monsters like you _rapist scum…_ ” Zayn slowly turned his head to look at Mewtwo, who looked down at him with an angry look. He turned slowly back, his eyes furious.

“W-what, what did that thing- “

“Do you remember Oddish?” Camilla froze at the name, her eyes wide.

“W-what?! H-how, how do you know about that…” She began to panic.

“W-wait, you don’t understand- “

“I understand the Pokémon lost you a battle, so you decided to brand and torture the poor Pokémon for an entire day before dumping it in the forest and leaving it to die. That…” He stood slowly up and took a step back, Mewtwo floated forward to hover next to him.

“That was two years ago! I didn’t kill it, please I- “

“Break her.” She screamed as her body was suddenly wracked with pain. Her arms began to twist painfully in ways they shouldn’t be twisted, her skin felt like it was burning, like it was on fire. Zayn stared down, watching the evil woman scream in agonizing pain as her minions all laid unconscious behind her.

“Z-Zayn!” He turned slowly, Shawn…

Zayn’s eyes widened a little, Shawn looked absolutely horrified.

“Z-Zayn stop, it’s over!”

“No, I think you should finish her.” Everyone turned, Zayn’s eyes flared in anger at the sight of Shiva…and his mother.

“Mewtwo- “

“They aren’t actually here; they are just projections…but I can easily get rid of them if you wish.”

“You didn’t think we’d be stupid enough to come here ourselves, did you?” Shiva asked, seeming very amused. The Omega growled.

“What do you want?”

“S-Shiva, please help!” Camilla screamed, writhing on the ground in terrible pain.

“Be quiet _thug_ , I wanted to be rid of your filth the moment I took power. Tricia changed my mind…but clearly she was wrong, you and Simon are worthless to us.” Camilla went wide eyed at Shiva’s harsh words.

“N-no…”

“What do you want?” Zayn repeated in a growl, getting annoyed now.

“Nothing my son, at least not from you. We are only here to clean up some loose ends.” His mother turned slowly to stare down at Camilla.

“Alakazam.” Was all she said as Camilla screamed, her head suddenly snapped, and she collapsed on the ground. Zayn clenched his fists as he turned his full attention on them.

“Team Rocket really are the scum of the Earth.”

“She was scum, but we are different. She was part of the old way of doing things, a mindless thug who had her uses. Simon was no better, which is why he’s been removed as well.” Shiva chuckled. He growled at her.

“Call yourself whatever you want, you monsters are all the same.”

“What a narrow-minded viewpoint, truly. It’s alright though, Zayn Malik, because soon enough you will see our new plan in action…and then you will truly understand the differences.”

“Get rid of her.” He spoke. Mewtwo’s eyes flashed with light and Shiva was suddenly snapped out of existence.

“Not going to get rid of me as well?” He slowly turned to look at his mother, who was giving him a sad look.

“Zayn…about Lucario…”

“I’m going to beat your record.” She blinked in surprise, blinked again.

“What?”

“I’m already beating your time, soon enough I’m going to beat your record.” She frowned at him.

“You…what Zayn, do you think beating my record is going to upset me? I couldn’t care- “

“She is lying, this upsets her greatly.” Mewtwo suddenly said next to him. She turned furious eyes on him.

“Stay out of this _monster._ ” Mewtwo’s eyes flared with power.

“How ironic, _Malik._ ”

“The only monster here is you.” Zayn hissed. She scoffed at that.

“Would a monster have visited your Lucario a few minutes ago and undid the lock that was placed on his mind? You are welcome, by the way, I never intended to leave him like that. If you hadn’t flown off the handle yesterday-”

“Thank you so much for un-fucking my friends mind that you FUCKED in the first place!” Tricia growled.

“Watch your language with me, I am your m- “

“You are NOT my mother!” He snapped. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“What? You don’t mean- “

“A mother is supposed to be loving, caring, nurturing…you verbally abused me from the moment I was able to understand words. You forced me to become a trainer like you without ever even asking what _I_ wanted to do. You treated Pikachu like shit, you treated Lucario like shit, you treated Safaa and Wali and Doniya and Dad like shit… but you treated me the worst of all.”

“I pushed you to be greater!”

“You pushed me to the point, that Doniya and Dad had to constantly comfort me every night and assure me that you actually did love me…I’m still not convinced.” He walked forward, knowing she wasn’t there but wanting to get right in her face anyway.

“You are not my mother; you are the woman who gave birth to me and you are the monster I had to endure for my entire life. You are also Team Rocket…which means you are my enemy.” His eyes narrowed and he continued, despite the growing anger all over her face.

“The next time I see you, be prepared…because we do not hold back on Team Rocket.” Tricia’s hands shook, her face a mask of pure rage.

“You…” She took a deep, calming breath and closed her eyes. She opened them a few seconds later, seeming calmer but still not very happy.

“I was going to invite you to join me son, you and Mewtwo would make powerful allies…but I see that isn’t in the cards.” Her eyes grew cold.

“The next time we meet, we will be enemies…and I will not show you mercy.”

“You’ve never shown mercy before, I didn’t expect you to start now.” She sneered and went to say something else, but Zayn spoke first.

“Get rid of her.” Her image flickered and she was gone a second later. He took a heavy breath and closed his eyes.

“Zayn.” He turned slowly.

“What?” Mewtwo was staring past him, an angry look on his face.

“You should return me, before he does something stupid and I’m forced to retaliate.” He followed Mewtwo’s gaze, his eyes wide as Liam was awake and standing near the entrance of the arena on the other side. Zayn felt a little surprised, as the man looked…furious.

“What? Why would he do something stupid?”

“Because the last time we met, I accidentally killed his Eevee.” The Mewtwo said calmly. His eyes bulged out of his skull as he stared up at him.

“Wait what?”

“Return me Zayn, he is going to attack.” Mewtwo said, seeming agitated. He nodded slowly.

“Ok…thank you for the help Mewtwo.”

“It’s not happening again.” The creature growled. He nodded slowly.

“Of course.” He raised the ball to return him but paused as the Pokémon suddenly spoke.

“You’re…welcome.” He decided not to make a deal out of it, but simply nodded and returned him to the Master ball. He looked up, Shawn was sitting on the ground nearby and Liam was slowly walking towards them. Zayn noticed people in the stands beginning to wake up. He took a step forward, but suddenly felt his legs give out and he fell onto his knees. He took a long, heavy breath as the adrenaline of the past few minutes began to subside. He heard footsteps and a shadow loomed over him.

“Hey.” Zayn said, feeling weak right now. He was happy though because his Alpha was here now-

“Give me it Zayn.” His eyes fluttered and he stared up at the angry looking Alpha.

“Give you what?”

“Mewtwo, give me him, _now._ ” Zayn’s hands reflexively cradled the Master ball against his chest.

“Why? And how the hell do you know his name?”

“It doesn’t matter, what matters is that _thing_ just did who knows what to those men and murdered Camilla. I…had suspicions, as to what you had in there, but I think I just didn’t want to believe it…” His eyes were deathly serious as he growled in anger.

“Even knowing what it was, I was willing to let you keep it…but after this, after the incident in Desert Town, after what it did to that Ursaring in the forest…” The man just shook his head.

“It’s too dangerous Zayn, you can’t control that thing.”

“ _He_ is not a thing Liam, and I am aware how dangerous he is…but I have him under control. He and I have a deal that neither of us wants to break…and he didn’t even kill Camilla, my mother did.”

“It’s true Liam, I can back up anything he says…” Shawn piped in nearby, still looking a bit rattled himself.

“Liam!” They all turned to look at the entrance, Niall, and a dozen officers (Including Jenny) came walking into the arena.

“You missed a party out front Liam, I thought I told you to call me if…” Niall trailed off as he approached and got a better look at the Team Rocket members.

“Oh…shit, I guess we also missed out.” The blond chuckled awkwardly.

* * *

“I’m still confused about what the hell happened.” Pikachu said, eyes furrowed. Froslass shook her head next to him.

“I can’t believe I let a Jigglypuff knock me out…I hate that screeching fairy so much.”

“Don’t feel bad Frost, they caught everyone off guard.” Zayn said, slowly folding the last shirt before zipping up his luggage. They were seated in the hotel room; Liam was checking them out as he packed the last of their things.

“So…we told the cops that your mom’s Alakazam messed up those Team Rocket guys, but in reality, it was…the other guy?”

“His name is Mewtwo Pikachu, I told you.” He just shrugged.

“Fine, Mewtwo then…what a weird name.”

“Pikachu isn’t weird?” He scoffed.

“Of course not! My name doesn’t have a number in it.” Zayn rolled his eyes.

“You know he can hear you, right?” Pikachu froze before suddenly laughing nervously.

“Ah…hahaha, I mean Pikachu actually is a weird name. I mean, it’s certainly weirder than Mewtwo…”

“You are so lame.” Frost groaned as she floated over to the table to talk to Celebi, who was eating some lunch currently. He hissed at her.

“Shut it _Froslass._ ” Her eyes just narrowed, but she said nothing and turned to begin talking quietly to Celebi.

“But…I guess the important bits are, Lucario is fine now and we can keep going?” The yellow mouse asked curiously.

“Yup, off to Cinder City to challenge Gym Leader Sophia…something.” He said, shrugging.

“She’s only uses fire types, right?” Zayn nodded.

“As far as I know she is crazy about fire types, so…we need to pick up a water type at some point.”

“Yes, because no offence Zayn… but I do everything in my power to avoid fighting fire types, flames can hurt me very badly.” Froslass said from the table. He nodded.

“I know and I already looked up Cinder City rules, I only need four Pokémon with a fifth being the tie breaker. So hopefully, I won’t need you.” She nodded.

“Good.” A knock on the door, they all turned to see Liam standing in the doorway.

“Hey, ready to go?” Zayn nodded.

“I think so, everything is packed.” Celebi yawned loudly and tapped her ball.

“Jeez Celebi, you sure have been tired the past few days.” Zayn chuckled. She just smiled and tiredly patted his hand. He returned her to the ball and turned on the other two.

“You two want to rest as well?” They both shook their heads. He smiled weakly.

“You both mind waiting by the van then? Just need to talk to Liam for a minute, then we can go get Lucario and head out.

“Yes, fine, whatever. Just don’t start making out please, schedule to keep.” Pikachu smirked. Zayn shook his head as the two left the room.

“So…” Zayn said as the Alpha slowly closed the door behind him.

“So.” The man said, slowly strolling forward. He approached and gently grabbed Zayn’s hand.

“I’m…sorry, about earlier. I had just woken up, just to find you and that th…him with you and I just…”

“Liam, its ok…” He frowned.

“We might know what each other’s favorite colors are, but we are seriously lacking in knowing the important stuff about each other. The really important stuff…like how you apparently already have a relationship with Mewtwo.” Liam’s eyes furrowed, his jaw clenched, and he slowly raised the boys hand up to his chest and gently pressed it against him.

“Zayn…I can’t tell you everything about me. I can’t, not yet…because I know it is going to change our relationship. It’s going to change things… a lot, and I don’t…want to lose you. You came out of nowhere and stole my heart so quickly its dizzying but its real and I…I just care about you so much Zayn. I will tell you everything, eventually I promise you…” Zayn blushed heavily at his words, he slowly reached up to cup the man’s face. He smiled softly as the man’s prickly beard tickled his palm and he leaned slowly up for a kiss. Liam cupped the back of Zayn’s head and gently massaged the space there as they kissed. Soon enough they pulled apart, and Liam slowly pulled Zayn’s head against his chest. Zayn didn’t resist and curled against his broad chest. Liam wrapped his arms around him and kissed his temple.

“Ok Liam…I don’t want our relationship to change. I accept that there are things you can’t tell me yet…but I just ask you show the same courtesy to me. I want to tell you everything I know Lee, about my Mom and Shiva and Mewtwo…but I just need you to promise me something, it’s important.” Liam nodded immediately.

“Of course, Zayn, anything.” He huffed.

“Mewtwo…is not a threat right now. We have a deal; he is going to help me become the Champion of the Lunari Region. In return, I said I would give him sanctuary in the Champion’s Garden. He just wants to be left alone Liam and I can give him a place like that once I become Champion.” He noticed how tight Liam’s face was, how tense his body had become.

“I want you to promise me, you will not take Mewtwo from me… and to stay out of my way. I need to beat her record Liam, I have too.” The man seemed terribly conflicted by this, Zayn guesses he shouldn’t be surprised. He nodded slowly.

“Ok…but I have two rules. One, if he kills anyone else, he’s gone. Two, if I truly believe your life is in danger…then I will do what I need to do to protect you, even if that means taking that Master ball and shooting it into space. Fair?” Zayn nodded seriously.

“Fair.” He nodded.

“Ok then…” He kissed Zayn deep, pulling their bodies flush and slowly rubbing circles into his back.

“ _Jaan_ …” The boy whined as the man began placing burning kisses into his neck. Liam blinked in surprise and pulled his head back.

“There’s that word again, I forgot to ask you what that meant. Is it Urdu? I’ve heard your sister speak some but never that word…” Zayn blushed heavily, slowly cursing himself for letting that word slip again.

“Hahaha, um, remember that talk we just had about not wanting to tell each other _everything_ just yet…” Liam chuckled, sensing his Omega’s embarrassment and just kissed his forehead.

“Alright…though you realize I can just Pokesearch it on the internet, right?” He blushed even heavier.

“Please, don’t…” He smirked.

“Alright, I’ll hold back my curiosity for now.” Zayn grinned, a strange glint in his eye. Liam raised an eyebrow.

“What?” The Omega suddenly leaned up and pulled the man into a deep kiss. Liam blinked in surprise before his eyes inevitably drifted closed and he fell into the boy. He smirked as the Omega boldly pushed him onto the bed and crawled on top of him. Their lips clashed together, and Liam grunted as the Omega grinded down on his quickly hardening manhood.

“Want a quicky before we leave then babe?” The Alpha smirked as the boy palmed him through his jeans. The Omega smiled and leaned down to kiss his neck.

“No, I wanted revenge actually.” Liam blinked in surprise as Zayn was suddenly off him in a flash. He just stared at the Omega in confusion as he gathered his things and gave Liam an amused smile.

“Hey, you better take care of that…we’re going to be in public soon!” The Alpha chuckled, remembering the elevator incident from yesterday, and quickly stood as the Omega giggled his way over to the door.

“Ah, but babe…you’re forgetting something.” Zayn turned just as the man pressed him into the door and easily picked him.

“I did that to you in an elevator…this is our room babe, and we have an hour still to get out…” Zayn laughed happily as the Alpha began leaving a deep hickey on his chest, already knowing where this was going to lead.

* * *

“You’re both awful, I told you to _not_ start making out. Who takes half an hour to make out?” Pikachu quipped in annoyance. Niall chuckled next to him.

“Ah, Pikachu my man, I don’t think they were making out.” Pikachu’s nose wrinkled.

“They never stop Mr. Niall.” Niall just laughed and patted the yellow mouse’s head as he walked forward. Niall and his Jolteon, Zayn’s two Pokémon, Liam’s Blaziken, Mr. Oda, and Shawn were all standing in front of Liam’s van waiting for them. Zayn felt deeply embarrassed, but Liam was smiling happily as they held hands and walked down to meet them.

“So, you’re heading to Cinder City I take it?” Mr. Oda asked. Zayn nodded and smiled.

“Yup.” Mr. Oda grinned.

“Excellent, I look forward to watching the match.” Zayn blinked in surprise.

“Huh?” He laughed.

“Oh, did you not realize all of the Gym battles after ours are televised? You should prepare yourself for that Zayn, you’re going to get much more recognizable to people you meet.” He nodded seriously.

“I…will keep that in mind, thank you sir.” He grinned.

“No, my boy, thank you for showing up here and giving my successor an excellent fight. You Malik’s are truly talented; I would even go so far as to say your match was even more impressive than the one I had with your sister Doniya…though please don’t tell her that.” Zayn smiled and laughed.

“I won’t, she might just fly down here and want to fight you again if I did that.” Oda just grinned.

“Well then maybe you should tell her, that sounds like a lot of fun.” He nodded and suddenly reached into his back pocket, revealing a rolled-up piece of white paper.

“Here you go Zayn, a gift from me to you.” He blinked in surprise and carefully took the paper.

“Oh, Mr. Oda you didn’t…” The man just shook his head.

“You Malik’s are excellent fighters, but terrible at accepting gifts. It’s something I already promised you Zayn, instructions on how to train your Pikachu to be able to use the terribly powerful Volt Tackle. Simply follow the instructions and try to train whenever you can, preferably daily. I am sure you two can learn it with enough time and practice.” Pikachu jumped up onto Zayn’s shoulder so he could read the paper.

“Thank you, sir, honestly.” Zayn said, smiling up at him. The man grinned and patted Zayn’s shoulder and Pikachu’s head.

“You’re welcome Zayn Malik, I only asked in return that when you finally get to the Elite Four…give your sister one hell of a fight for me, I look forward to it.” He nodded and the man chuckled at Pikachu.

“And you…keep focused and keep Zayn here safe. I’m counting on you.” Pikachu nodded and gave him a hardy salute.

“Yes sir!” Oda chuckled and moved past them so he could approach Niall and Liam, who were standing nearby watching everything in silence.

“And you two troublemakers! You best continue your training and not slack off, Team Rocket wants to hurt this boy and I’m trusting you both to watch over him, got it?” The two straightened and quickly bowed.

“Yes sir.” They said in unison. He chuckled and ruffled both of their heads. He started to say something else, but Zayn missed it as he felt a hand on his arm. He turned; Shawn was giving him a smile, but his eyes seemed worried.

“Hey, Zayn…do you mind if we have a quick talk? I won’t hold you up.” The Omega nodded.

“Yeah, of course Shawn.” The two walked a few steps away and under a nearby tree.

“Pikachu, mind- “

“Always want to talk to people alone, you aren’t that mysterious you know.” Pikachu quipped as he jumped off his shoulder and walked back to the van.

“He’s a handful.” Shawn chuckled. Zayn smiled after his friend before turning back around to face Shawn.

“Yeah, that’s an understatement... but I love him all the same.” Shawn laughed and nodded.

“Right…” He sighed.

“You know, considering what those two Team Rocket goons were going to do to me…I should be happier that I will never have to see them again, right? Yet all I feel is pity for them…” Zayn smiled weakly.

“Just means you actually have empathy…but, you know, I wouldn’t bother feeling too bad…” Shawn frowned, his eyebrows furrowed in worry once again.

“Zayn…we haven’t exactly gotten to know each other all that well, but I consider you a friend. I like you and am super excited to see how you do…but can I offer you a piece of advice?” Zayn nodded and he nodded back.

“I think…you should avoid using that…other Pokémon from now on.” Zayn frowned and found his hand reflexively reach up to wrap around his necklace.

“Why?”

“Zayn…I thought we were done for earlier. All my Pokémon were too tired by that point, you were out as well…we were done for. But then…you summoned…Mewtwo?” Zayn nodded to confirm the name.

“Yeah, Mewtwo…you summoned him and…I’ve never seen such, such power…I don’t know how you stayed standing Zayn. As soon as he was summoned, it was like the air…it just, it got so _heavy._ I didn’t even feel that way around Zapdos…” He shook his head.

“I don’t know what he is, but Zayn…you changed when you summoned him. You had all the power suddenly and you… you were smiling when you were torturing that Team Rocket woman.” Zayn’s eyes furrowed.

“No…no I wasn’t…was I?” Shawn nodded slowly.

“We haven’t known each other long, but I’ve seen how you interact with your friends…I see you, and a cruel torturer you are not. As soon as you had all that power…” He paused, seeming to consider his words carefully.

“I don’t know how you found Mewtwo and I don’t know what sort of deal you’ve made with him, but his influence over you was obvious Zayn, even if not to you. And trust me it isn’t a good one. My advice is this, Zayn.” He gripped the Omega’s shoulders.

“You’re a good person Zayn, you are I promise you. Don’t lose sight of the person that I know you are, please.” The Omega nodded slowly, surprised as he felt a tear slipping down his cheek. He quickly shook his head and wiped it away. Shawn laughed softly; eyes filled with pity.

“Shit, I’m sorry I didn’t mean…” Zayn laughed and shook his head.

“No, its fine…sorry, it has just been a long day I think.” Shawn nodded and the two hugged.

“Good luck Zayn, and I gave you my number earlier, feel free to call or text me whenever you want.” The Omega pulled away and nodded.

“Yeah…and thank you, for your concern…I’ll do my best.” They walked back and everyone started to file into the van.

“Niall, you coming mate?” Niall smiled.

“Ah, you two can head out, I’ll meet up with you soon though.” Liam nodded slowly, giving him a knowing smile.

“Alright mate, we’ll meet you at Sparkville, I’ll have your ticket for the ship paid for alright?” Niall grinned.

“Sounds good mate.” They all hopped into the van and soon were waving everyone goodbye. They got to the Pokecenter to find Nurse Joy and Lucario already standing outside. Zayn ran out of the van as soon as it stopped and pulled his blue friend into a hug.

“Luca, mate you ok?” The Lucario just nodded and gave Zayn a small smile.

“I am ok, Zayn, just…very confused. I don’t really remember anything…” He nodded grimly.

“That’s ok, we can explain what happened once we get in the van…but I’m just glad you’re ok.” Luca nodded.

“As am I.”

“We totally weren’t worried; we knew you’d be fine.” Pikachu said after jumping up onto Zayn’s shoulder.

“It’s a bit of a miracle honestly, I walked in and found him wide awake as if nothing happened. So strange.” Nurse Joy said with a frown. Zayn just nodded at her.

“Yeah…but anyway, thank you so much Nurse Joy for taking care of him.” She smiled.

“Of course, dear, it’s been my family’s duty to care for sick and injured Pokémon for generations. I admit I didn’t do much more than watch over him, but I am so glad the issue seems to have sorted itself out.” The two shook hands and Nurse Joy waved as they got back into the car and continued to drive. Soon enough, the van was leaving, and Paradise Fall’s was gone. Now there were only trees and the road in sight.

“It’s going to be late when we get into Sparkville, then we leave the van and take a cruise ship to Ember Island, which is a 3-day trip…”

“Maybe we should just fly there, it’ll be quicker.” Zayn said. Liam smiled weakly.

“Unfortunately, no, the skies around the island are too dangerous. There’s a lot of flying types that control territory there, it’s the reason you aren’t going to find anyone willing to fly there.” Zayn scoffed.

“Oh c’mon, it can’t be that dangerous…” Liam grinned.

“Niall said the same thing first time we went there…we had to turn back and take the ship because we got attacked by a massive cloud of Sparrow. Trust me, the ship is the quickest and easiest way to that island.” Zayn nodded.

“Alright…I want to get there quicker but ok.” Liam smiled.

“No worries, not including today, you have 47 days left to beat 5 Gym leaders…you’re making amazing time Zayn.” He smiled weakly.

“Thanks…” He turned to look out the window but stopped when a large and warm hand was suddenly covering his own.

“Of course, Zayn…” He stared up at the man, who was watching the road with a smile on his face. Zayn squeezed back as he turned his head, all the Pokémon were either wrapped up in their own conversations or sleeping. He sighed in relief at the sight of his Lucario, listening intently as Pikachu explained to him everything that had happened while he was out. He squeezed Liam’s hand again, slowly looking up at the man.

“Lee…” The Alpha turned to give him a quick look.

“Yeah?”

“I won’t get into the heavy details now…but I want you to know how I met Mewtwo.” The man was watching the road again, but he squeezed the Omega’s hand back and nodded.

“Ok, I’m all ears babe.” Zayn nodded and sighed.

“Right…it all started a year ago. I got into a fight with my dad and tried to run away from home. I was on my way to the train station when I got caught up in a massive storm…” Zayn told his story as the sun slowly began to set and the shadows it cast grew larger and larger…

No one was looking outside of course, so none of them noticed as the shadow cast by the van suddenly seemed to ripple as a Pokémon leapt into it. If any of them had simply looked outside, they may have noticed the shape of a Pokémon who did not belong, grinning with evil intent as it waited in the shadows for its moment to strike.

**Niall**

He watched the pair leaving in the van, smiling weakly after them before turning his head. Oda was giving him a curious look, but he noticed Shawn had already started heading back towards his cabin.

“So, Niall…you’re staying for Shawn, yes?” The blond turned on Oda in surprise, who smiled knowingly at him.

“It’s…complicated.” He said, staring after the slowly disappearing Omega.

“Really? I’m surprised, Shawn wouldn’t stop talking about his date with you. He was very excited…” The older man frowned.

“Shawn hasn’t shared the details yet, but I know Team Rocket attacked you both and you had to save him with Zapdos…the same one who used to call this forest it’s home, the same one whose legendary storms killed his mother.” He slowly walked up to Niall and clapped his shoulder.

“Niall…go to him, talk to him. He refuses to talk about you, but I can tell he cares…just like I can tell you care about him. I realize I am an outsider in your relationship, and I don’t know what happened between you two, but Shawn is a good boy and so are you. I’ve trained you both, I know you both, it’s a match that makes sense to me and it makes sense to you as well. Talk. To. Him.” He backed off and tapped Niall on the forehead.

“And don’t fuck it up.” Niall gave the man an exasperated look as he laughed and walked away with a wave throw over his shoulder. He took a long, deep breath before slowly opening his eyes and powerwalking down the road. He caught up to the Omega quickly, who seemed to be heading for his home.

“It’s a lovely day, sun shining and all that.” Niall said, quickly making his way to the Omega’s side and keeping pace. The Omega just gave him a quick look before looking away and seeming to ignore him.

“Heard about the match, I’ll have to watch a video later…I’m sad I missed it.”

“Don’t be, I’m sure you had more important things to worry about.” Shawn said, not looking at him. Niall smiled weakly.

“Not really, we didn’t get much information out of Simon…and now he’s gone.”

“I’m sorry about that, really. They need to be stopped…” Shawn stopped in front of his cottage and turned to look at the expectant Niall.

“Shouldn’t you be off helping to keep Zayn safe from Team Rocket?” He nodded.

“Yeah, I have to leave in the morning to make it onto the ship for Ember Island…”

“You should be off then.” Shawn said, giving him a cold look. Niall smiled weakly.

“Yeah…” He slowly reached up and pulled off his necklace, revealing a small silver whistle. Shawn raised an eyebrow as Niall handed it to him.

“What?”

“Just use it.” Was all Niall said. Shawn nodded slowly before raising it to his lips and blew. He was surprised as no sound seemed to escape it. He pulled away and handed it back with a furrowed brow.

“It didn’t do – “The words weren’t fully out of his mouth before a sudden burst of wind filled the area. He looked up, shocked as the massive yellow legendary Zapdos was slowly descending upon them. It landed, making the ground shake a little as it did. Shawn’s eyes were wide as it stared up at the bird, who was pecking at its wing and not giving them much mind.

“The reason I went after Zapdos…well, it was a selfish reason wrapped in good intentions.” Niall suddenly said. Shawn turned to look at him, the Alpha was staring right into his eyes.

“I had heard stories about him, read about tons of firsthand encounters… I got a bit obsessed honestly. I’ve always had a thing for Electric type Pokémon, been crazy for them ever since I was a wee lad who thought finding ways to shock himself was a fun time. So, when I heard about Zapdos…I got my badges and took over my dad’s Gym, but I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted a challenge, the ultimate challenge…” He sighed.

“Sorry, I know I’m rambling and need to get to the point. I heard about a bunch of terrible thunderstorms that had been plaguing the area recently. I knew this is where Zapdos was supposed to be…I decided to come look for him. I told my friends and family I was leaving to take care of the thunderstorms... but I honestly didn’t care about that much, I just wanted to catch Zapdos.” He sighed as he looked up at the bird, who looked down and gave him a look before returning to its wing.

“I finally managed to find him…and let me tell you, he didn’t make it easy for me. Probably one of the toughest matches I’ve ever had. Took my entire team just to weaken him enough for capture…” He looked up at Shawn, his eyes misty.

“Sorry, I said I’d get to the point but now I’m…look I…I’m really not good at this, sorry I… My point… is that your mother died because I was a selfish twat who wanted a legendary. I can never…take back what I did, I can’t fix it…and for that I’m sorry.” Shawn was crying now, looking away from him and Niall sighed.

“I know this won’t make you feel better…but when I caught Zapdos, he was a wild and angry Pokémon. I’ve helped teach him control of his emotions, so now he no longer creates wild, dangerous, unpredictable thunderstorms. What happened with your mother shouldn’t happen again.” Shawn shook his head.

“It doesn’t, no…” Niall slowly reached across and hesitantly took Shawn’s hand. The Omega seemed to consider for a moment if he’d allow this, but ultimately decided a hand would feel nice right now and let him take it. The Alpha squeezed and took a heavy breath.

“I’ll spend the rest of my life apologizing to you if I have too…and if you aren’t interested in a relationship anymore then obviously that’s ok…” He sighed.

“It’s selfish, its so selfish…but I just don’t want you to hate me Shawn. I like you so much and I have no right to ask you to not hate me but- “He was silenced with a kiss, a slow, shy, beautiful kiss. Shawn slowly pulled away and huffed as Niall just blinked up at him in surprise.

“’Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.’ Ah, that’s something Master Oda says a lot, it’s a quote from the old Champion Bruce Lee I think…” Shawn sighed.

“Niall, I don’t hate you…and that was kind of the worst part for me. I feel like I should _hate_ you for what you did. I should be cursing you out and kicking you out of Paradise Falls…but I don’t. Niall, I told you at dinner that I spent…a long time hating Zapdos. That was a dark part of my life, I was so close to doing something stupid that I’d regret…” Tears spilled down his cheeks.

“I told you about the day I went to go kill Zapdos and get my revenge. When I found his nest empty, I came back every day hoping he’d return…he never did and now I know it’s because of you…” Shawn just laughed softly and shook his head.

“You changed my life twice without even realizing it...” Shawn stared down at his hand, the Alpha’s soft hand was still squeezing him tight.

“Shawn- “

“Slow. I want to take this…slow.” Niall nodded.

“Ok.”

“I usually make my Pokémon a big tray of PokeCookies after a big match…come help me make some? We can talk more…just wanna talk.” Niall nodded, feeling an almost overwhelming feeling of happiness, of relief, wash over him.

“Yeah, of course Shawn…you have me till the morning.” He giggled softly.

“We may end up staying up all night…”

“I can live with that.”

The two shared no more words, but they did trade warm smiles and held hands as they walked inside. Zapdos let out a powerful cry and shot off the ground, soaring higher and higher into the clear orange sky.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon?**

****

**Metapod!**

****

**Mewtwo!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm already working on book 3 so hopefully there shouldn't be as long of a wait this time around but like I said, I can't promise anything. School is kind of kicking my ass a bit so I'm having trouble finding time to write. But anyway, I hope you all enjoyed and until next time.
> 
> Oh and I won't say what happens exactly, but I will give you all a little hint as to what the next chapter is going to be about as an apology for taking so long. The entire thing will take place on the cruise ship and lets just say...there is something terrifying lurking the halls. :] Anyway, till next time!


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